The subject of this month’s Fitness Track subject, Tom Marlett, 71, of Altoona, began participating in youth sports during his days at Saint Mary’s parochial school and continued on through his days with the United States Army and beyond into his later years. Courtesy photos

Many of us would not elect to jump out of an airplane, march for 20 miles with 80 pounds on our back, ride an 850-pound motorcycle and participate in a wide variety of challenging sports. Furthermore, most of us would not participate in a job which required a fitness test two times per year. It sounds like an extremely atypical lifestyle, yet it is just part of the story of this month’s Fitness Track subject.

Tom Marlett began sports participation while attending Saint Mary’s parochial school in Altoona. He was motivated to participate in football when he saw a photo of his father who coached at Saint Mary’s prior to his birth. His initial reaction to the sport was mixed.

“I was only nine years old and those big guys who were two to three years older sometimes picked on the little guys,” Marlett said.

Marlett didn’t let adversity prevent him from continuing his gridiron endeavors. He played offensive guard and defensive linebacker at Roosevelt Junior High School. He also ran the 100-yard dash and four by one relay.

“Believe it or not, I was the biggest kid on the track,” Marlett said.

One other sport added to his athletic resume.

Wrestling became the third sport in his junior high career. Marlett began wrestling in eighth grade as a 145 pounder and continued in ninth grade at 165 pounds. He had a great deal of success wrestling during his ninth-grade season.

“I was twelve and one during that season. All my twelve wins were by pins. My only loss was to a guy from State College by the name of Larry Suhey. He cleaned the mat with me,” said Marlett who also qualified and won in the regionals but lost in the state tournament during his ninth grade year.

While attending Altoona High School, Marlett continued to participate in three sports. He wrestled during his sophomore year but cut weight, at one point 40 pounds, to participate in a tournament that took its toll on his ability to maintain the strength to grapple at a high level. In regard to track, he realized that some other members of the team were faster and decided to choose football as his primary endeavor. He played offensive guard and strong side linebacker. Subsequently, he attended Shippensburg University and started his freshman year. He had issues with some of his teammates and elected to move on to a semi pro team.

“In 1976 and ’77, I played for the Central Pennsylvania Whitetail Bucks out of Snowshoe, Pa. It was an awesome team. The owners were lawyers and coal miners,” Marlett said.

Rugby was also in Marlett’s sports resume. He was a wing forward, the equivalent of a linebacker. There is no padding in rugby, so the body takes a beating. His rugby exploits took place in Pittsburgh, prior to his next big life step.

In 1979, he enlisted in the Army and had a solid reason for entering the service.

“It was time to get disciplined and to grow up,” said Marlett, whose father, Thomas Marlett Sr. was also in the military.

The rigors of military life kept Marlett in outstanding shape throughout his career.

PT was every morning and encompassed warming up, stretching, push-ups and typically a five- or six-mile run. This was his routine from 1979 until his retirement at age 45. Twice a year, he had to complete a fitness test. His ability to compete with much younger service members was remarkable.

“The test requirements were how many push-ups you can do in two minutes, and to max it you had to do 75. Seventy-nine sit ups in two minutes was the max, and then your time on a two-mile run. I always met my age requirements. Not only that, but I always was able to meet the standards for the 17-21 age group up until my retirement,” Marlett said, noting that last year, he could not meet the running standards which had changed.

Some additional requirements included: rappelling (descending from a vertical drop), jumping out of helicopters into the water, and rucking (marching with

80 pounds on your back while wearing boots and carrying an M16 rifle for 20 miles) which honed Marlett’s fitness and discipline.

He entered the military as a PFC (Private First Class) and retired as a Warrant Officer. He succeeded in getting two bachelor’s degrees, Business Management and Human Resources, and a master’s degree in international relations. Marlett was stationed in Korea, the U.S. Special Operations Command in Tampa, Fla. and Central and South America.

Training hard is and has always been in his blood. When he retired from the military, he did not forsake fitness.

“What I used to be able to do and what I can do now are two different things. Upon returning to the states, I would run on the treadmill for a half hour, and sometimes as fast as I could, and then do push-ups, sit ups, lift weights, and then get in the pool. Well, because I’m old and a little bit broken, I do biceps and triceps and 15 minutes on the treadmill. Then I go into the pool. I walk for

15 minutes, swim 15 minutes and walk again for 15 minutes,” said Marlett, who has endured multiple knee surgeries, including a total knee replacement, back and shoulder surgeries.

Marlett recently sold his 850-pound motorcycle.

“I fell while coming down my driveway. A car was coming so I hit my handbrake, put my foot down, my knee buckled and the bike went down. The guy got out of his car and helped me pick the bike up. I said, ‘Okay, Tom, this bike’s too heavy for you right now.’ If I ever do get another one, it will be smaller,” said Marlett, who also has his eye on a Mercedes convertible.

Marlett is 5-foot, 10 inches tall and weighs 240 pounds. He tries to eat a healthy diet by consuming a lot of fruit and vegetables. He would like to lose 20 to 30 pounds.

“Sometimes I get off track. For example, last night I had ice cream. You have to do that occasionally,” Marlett said .

The 71-year-old has some great advice for our youth.

“You don’t have to be the tough guy, but you need to be that person who likes to work out because all that training will benefit you in the long run. You don’t have to exercise for three hours a day. Just go out for 30-45 minutes and do resistance training, swim, run, and walk. Working out is going to help your body and mind,” Marlett said.

George Thomas Kattouf of Altoona is the developer of the website AgelessTimeless.com. He has been instructing martial arts for over four decades in the Altoona Area at the Academy of Martial Arts and encourages seniors to stay fit through martial arts training. If you or someone you know in Blair County is age 50 or older and would be a good candidate for the Fitness Track, email Kattouf at george@agelesstimeless.com. Tune in to the YouTube channel AgelessTimeless to learn more.