By his own admission, Kiski Area graduate Arny Ferrando was never a gifted athlete, rather he was athletically gifted. From gymnastics to powerlifting to throwing the javelin, Ferrando used hard work and determination to rise to the top of all three sports.
"I was an above-average athlete with an unbelievable support system," Ferrando said.
Ferrando and seven others will be inducted into the Alle-Kiski Sports Hall of Fame May 17 during a ceremony at the Clarion Hotel in New Kensington.
"It is quite an honor. I never really considered myself a great athlete," he said.
Ferrando's athletic endeavors began in the seventh grade when longtime Kiski Area gymnastics coach Dem Answine took Ferrando under his wing and introduced him to the parallel bars and balance beams.
"You couldn't ask for a better coach," Ferrando said. "He was more than just a coach to me; he nurtured me into a man."
The fearless Ferrando literally threw himself into gymnastics and excelled at the parallel bars.
Ferrando's hard work paid off his senior year when, to his surprise, he won the state championship in the parallel bars.
"I kind of caught lightning in a bottle that year," he said. "There were probably two or three kids better than me that year, but luck is the residue of design, and you pay your dues."
That state championship in 1974 was just the beginning for Ferrando. After graduation, he attended the U. S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. It was a match made in heaven. Ferrando continued to compete in gymnastics and contributed enough to earn a letter his freshman year.
"I wanted to do other things with my life," he said. "If I had gone to Pitt or Penn State, I would have graduated with 8,000 others. I graduated with 800 at West Point."
When Ferrando wasn't flying attack helicopters for the elite 101st Airborne Division, the officer was beginning his career as a competitive power lifter.
As a power lifter, Ferrando squatted 400 pounds, dead-lifted 450 pounds and bench-pressed 315 pounds while competing in the 132-pound weight class. His work earned him a national ranking from 1983-84.
"I was never a great squatter," said Ferrando. "I didn't have the hips or the legs for it."
During the late 1990's, Ferrando was living in Galveston, Texas, and figured he would give the javelin a shot. He called up a track and field coach, who, at the time, was coaching Olympic-caliber athletes, and asked him to teach him how to throw.
The decision made perfect sense. With all of the upper-body strength he had acquired through gymnastics and power lifting, Ferrando quickly caught on to the techniques of throwing the javelin.
During his 40s, Ferrando participated in track and field meets. In 1998, he earned a bronze medal. He returned the following year to take the silver medal in the javelin at the National Masters Track and Field competition.
The masters' level is for adults 35 and older and is broken down into age groups. Ferrando eventually began throwing the javelin 200 feet consistently which had him keeping up with 20 year-old college athletes during the peak of his training.
"My philosophy has always been to participate in life (rather) than watch it pass you by," said Ferrando. "My (body) parts are going to wear out rather than rust."
Additional Information:
A-K Hall induction
When: 7 p.m., May 17Where: Clarion Hotel, New Kensington
Tickets: $20. No tickets will be sold at the door.
Contact: Al Uskuraitis, 724-727-7259.
