Speech

Governor’s Cup Awards Ceremony

Remarks of Governor Judy Martz
Anchor Park, Helena
6/7/2003

***Check Against Delivery***

I would first like to express my sincere appreciation for the invitation to these Governors Cup events. This is always a very special time of year. This 30th anniversary reminds us that hard work can build new traditions. This event will certainly be a fixture in Montana long into the future.

Volunteers of the Governor’s Cup have ensured its success the past three decades. It is hard to ignore and even harder to thank the hundreds of folks that help make the Governor's Cup the event of the summer. These are the people that make the whole event happen. On behalf of all the participants, thank you.

I would also like to thank Blue Cross Blue Shield of Montana. Since 1979, their sponsorship has made all the difference. They successfully keep the race going each year and continually find innovative ways to involve new groups of people. They also help people as the proceeds have gone to the Caring Foundation.

Helena, Bozeman and Missoula have all played host to our state’s premier running event.

It is always great to see over six thousand Montanans of all different backgrounds, ages, and abilities enjoying the summer weather on the streets of Helena each June. It is a great representation of what Montana truly is.

Montana is an instinctively active state. Our frontier spirit is always telling us to get out and do something. Once we decide that we are going to embark on a journey, we always want to do our best and strive to achieve our goals.

That is where I have something in common with the Governors Cup participants. Whether it is the marathon, the 10k or the relay, everyone wants to finish and at the same time do the best they can.

I had the same Montana spirit as I trained for the Olympic Games as a speed skater. I wanted to make it to Innsbruck, but I wanted to compete at the best of my ability. That is the purpose of the Governors Cup. Do the best you can and you will be a winner. Competition comes second to finding something extra inside you to achieve more.

That is why this is such a valuable experience. People, regardless of where they come from, learn the life lessons of friendship as they meet new people along the route.

Or perhaps they garner the lesson of humility as they run out of steam just before the finish line. Or it could be the lesson of hard work as they train to break their personal best or the race record.

It is for those reasons that I love being a part of events like these, because like the Olympics, it is more than an athletic competition, it is a chance for people to escape the issues of the day and have fun with their neighbors.

I’m proud to say that this is the Governor’s Cup. But it isn’t mine; it is the participant’s cup.

Congratulations to all of the runners.