CHANNEL RUNNER
Jeremy Taylor
Copyright 2011 by Jeremy Taylor
Smashwords Edition
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Chapter One
“Okay, off you go, have a good weekend and don’t forget the homework on page seventy three!”
It was the end of Mr Hunt’s biology lesson and the end of the day. The class of fourteen year olds left the room quickly to get outside into the sunshine. Mr Hunt was tidying up some papers when he heard someone at his desk.
“Mr Hunt, do you think I could ask you a question?” Mary Maloney stood in front of him.
“Sure Mary, go ahead.”
“Do you think men are better than women?”
Mr Hunt put down his papers and considered Mary’s question.
“Well, it depends on what you mean by ‘better’. It’s scientific fact that men are stronger than women and can run faster than women. Men have bigger lungs and bigger muscles.”
“What about intelligence? Do you think men are more intelligent than women?”
“Again, intelligence is a very difficult thing to measure. But almost all Nobel Prize winners have been men. Also intellectual games like chess are dominated by men. Now I don’t know if it is because men are more intelligent, or, some other reason. Why do you ask, Mary?”
“I don’t believe it.”
“What don’t you believe?”
“That men are in any way better than women.”
“But Mary, you can’t argue with science. These are facts. In all sports, men run faster, jump higher and throw things further than women.”
Mary did not agree with Mr Hunt. Just because women hadn’t run as fast or jumped as high as men, it didn’t mean that they couldn’t.
Mr Hunt smiled at Mary. He liked her. She was a good student. She worked hard and was going to do well in her exams.
“Look Mary, everyone should do their best, men and women. I don’t think it is important who is better. As long as everyone does their best.”
Mary smiled at Mr Hunt. “I might have some more questions for you next week.”
“That’s fine by me, Mary. I’ll do my best to answer any questions you have.”
Mr Hunt watched as Mary Maloney walked out of the room. He thought about what she had said. Did she really disagree with scientific fact? Mr Hunt shook his head. He put his papers into his briefcase, turned out the lights and left his laboratory.
Chapter Two
“Okay Mary, that’s twenty laps.”
Mary was hot. Her legs felt tired. But something inside her told her to keep running.
“Where’s she going?” Darren Green, the sports coach watched as Mary continued around the track for a twenty first time.
“Australia?” suggested Peter Morris, who was lifting weights next to Darren. “Do you think she’ll win the cross country race on Saturday?”
“Sure she will,” said Darren. “There’s only three schools involved. There’s no real competition for Mary in any of them.”
Darren stood in a track suit with a stop watch around his neck. He shook his head slowly as he watched Mary Maloney pounding down the back straight. She had already run eight kilometres and still looked fresh.
Peter wiped some sweat from his forehead. Watching Mary meant he didn’t think of the weights he was lifting. On other parts of the track people were practising long jump and discus throwing. But it was Mary who held Peter’s attention.
“She’s not bad is she, for a girl.” It was James Curtis, the school’s best 1500 metre runner.
Peter and Darren both looked at him. He wore an American baseball jacket and mirror sun glasses. his blond hair was cut short so that it stood up at the front and he chewed a piece of gum aggressively.
“She’s not bad, full stop,” said Peter, still watching Mary.
James looked at him and smiled. “Are you in love with her or something?”
“No, I just think she’s a damn good runner.”
James smiled again and shook his head.
After her twenty fifth lap Mary slowed down though kept walking and stretching her body.
“You’re in good shape, Mary. How are you feeling?” asked Darren.
“Fine,” said Mary.
“You’ll have no problems on Saturday, Mary. You’re a champion.”
“Do you think so?”
“Sure I do. There probably isn’t a girl in this county that could beat you.”
Mary was doing some sit ups. Then she paused and looked up at Darren. “What about the boys?”
“What about the boys?”
“Am I good enough to beat the boys?”
“You mean if there were a race between you and some of the boys?”
“Exactly,” said Mary, continuing with her sit ups.
“Well I’m sure you could beat some of them.”
“Only some?”
“Come on Mary, be realistic. You’re a girl. You’re an excellent runner but you can’t compete against boys. They have bigger muscles, bigger lungs...”
“I’ve heard that already today,” said Mary. “Do you believe it?”
“Well, yes, it’s a fact. There’s nothing we can do to change it.”
“People once thought the Earth was flat. They thought that if you sailed to the edge you’d fall off. They thought that was a fact.”
“But Mary that was a long time ago. We’re talking about modern science.”
“Does that mean every scientific fact is right and can’t be challenged?”
“Well, I suppose it can be challenged...” Darren Green could now see what was in Mary’s mind. He now realised why she had run an extra five laps around the track. “You want to do some challenging?”
“That’s right.”
“How exactly are you going to do it?”
“Well it’s too late to start in the race on Saturday. How about the athletic club’s trials next week?” Mary stood up and started putting on her track suit.
“I’m sorry Mary, I’m not exactly sure what you want.”
“I want to race against the boys.”
Peter Morris stopped lifting his weights. James Curtis stopped chewing his gum. “Did you hear that? She wants to run against boys! Her ego is getting out of control.”
Peter looked at James. He was smiling and chewing his gum again. “Are you worried?”
“Me? No way. No girl will ever beat me.”
“Well?” Mary looked at Darren.
“I...I..don't know. I don't know what the committee will say.”
“I do,” said Mary as she stood up and started stretching her body. ”They'll say no. They're just a bunch of stuffy old men who aren't interested in changing anything.”
“I'll do what I can, Mary, but I can't promise anything.”
As usual after her training, Mary took a cold shower. She enjoyed feeling the cold water massaging her shoulders. The other runners thought she was crazy. Perhaps I am, she often thought.
Chapter Three
On her way home Mary dropped into the local library.
“Hello, Mary, how are things?”
“Hi, Mrs Huett, not so bad.”
”Won any races recently?”
“A few,” grinned Mary.
“I've got a book I think you might be interested in.” Mrs Huett reached under the counter and brought out a book.
“Penny Dean, she's a long distance swimmer, isn't she?”
“Right, but she's a little more special than that.”
“More special?”