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Bio
Sim Iness, the second of five children born to Oklahoma
sharecroppers, was born in 1930 in the small town of Keota,
Oklahoma. Falling on hard times during the precursor to the Dust
Bowl, the Iness' migrated west in search of a better life in the
land "flowing with milk and honey," California. Riding in the back
of a dilapidated Model A truck loaded with mattresses, the Inessss
settled in the agricultural heartland of California's San Joaquin
Valley and the town of Tulare.
Working on countless farms and in labor camps throughout his
entire childhood and teenage years, Sim Iness was first able to use
athletics as an escape from a hard day's labor. As a sophomore in
high school, he began participating in football and both the shot
put and discus events for track and field. The idea of college
never being set in his sights due to his family's finances, Sim,
with the help and inspiration of his high school coach, poured his
heart and soul into being the best discus thrower that he could
be.
Sim was able to pursue his education by attending college
due to the generosity of the people of Tulare who set up a
scholarship fund in his name. Sim attended Compton Community
College where he won the National Junior College discus
championship in 1949 and he was also a member of the winning
Compton football squad who won the Junior Rose Bowl becoming
National Junior College Champions in 1948. Sim transferred to the
University of Southern California where he honed his discus skills;
eventually setting every meet, school, junior collegiate, American
and National collegiate record possible including the NCAA discuss
championship in 1952 and 1953.
In 1952 Sim secured a spot on the United States Olympic
Team, along with hometown friend and teammate Bob Mathias. At the
XVth Olympiad, held in Helsinki, Finland; Sim, ever the underdog
and not favored to place at all, smashed the existing Olympic
Record on his first throw, and continued to do so throughout the
remainder of the competition. Sim walked away not only with the
Olympic Record, but with the gold medal as well, beginning a 20
year reign of U.S. Discus gold medalists in the Olympics. A year
after the Olympics Sim raised the bar even further by setting the
World Record, being the first person ever to eclipse the 190'
barrier.
After temporarily dropping out of college in order to
support a wife and a newborn daughter, Sim graduated from USC with
a Bachelors Degree in Physical Education. Truly idolizing his high
school track coach Virgil Jackson, Sim began his lifelong pursuit
as an educator and quietly moved back to his home roots of the San
Joaquin Valley, settling in the city of Porterville. First teaching
and coaching at Porterville High School, Sim later moved to
Porterville College where he served as a teacher, coach, and
counselor. Remaining humble throughout his entire life, when he
retired in 1994 after 40 years as an educator, it was a fact that
many of his students throughout his career were not even aware that
the man who was teaching them was in fact an Olympic gold
medalist.
Sim is a member of the Tulare High School Redskin Hall of
Fame, the Northern California Track and Field Hall of Fame, the
International World Throwers Congress Hall of Fame, the University
of Southern California Athletic Hall of Fame and the Tartar
Athletics Hall of Fame. He summed it all up when he said I have a
lot of empathy for people stuck in poverty. But I also know itts
possible to escape. I had goals and I worked hard to achieve them.
If a little barefoot Okie in overalls could do it, then maybe all
things are possible!!
Sim Iness passed away in Porterville, California in 1996,
leaving behind a life full of memories to all those he met, as well
as a void in society and the true meaning of an athlete, educator,
mentor, and gentleman.