Dave Gorman, Master's Vaulter, Gettysburg PA

[Altoonavault]

Ladies and Gentlemen:

I regret to inform the master's vault community that Dave Gorman, a master's pole vaulter from Gettysburg, PA, passed away this past Friday, August 1 as a result of an accident. Dave was the younger brother of Steve Gorman, also a master's pole vaulter who has a great backyard pole vaulting facility and always welcomed all in the PA/MD area. Although both Dave and Steve may not have been as active in the past few years competitively pole vaulting due to nagging injuries, they both continued to coach and mentor many local youth pole vaulters.

Please keep the Gorman family in your thoughts and prayers at this time.

As of this posting, arrangements are still being made. The local newspaper link is below:

http://www.gburgtimes.com/

If anyone would like to send a card, Steve's address is as follows:

The Gorman Family
282 Longstreet Drive
Gettysburg, PA
17325

Sincerely,
Rob Wahl

[rainbowgirl28]

I am sorry to hear that.

[rainbowgirl28]

http://www.eveningsun.com/ci_10092847

Drowning victim was 'a real inspiration to the kids'

By JAMIE McCUNE
Evening Sun Reporter
Article Launched: 08/04/2008 10:50:19 AM EDT


David Gorman, of Biglerville, a well-known area athlete, died Saturday in a drowning accident. (Submitted)
Purchase reprints of Evening Sun Photos at EveningSunPhotos.Com.
A Biglerville man known for his athleticism and for mentoring youth in pole vaulting died Saturday evening at a private residence as the result of an accidental drowning. Emergency services responded to the residence just after 8 p.m. but were unable to revive the victim.

Deputy Coroner Francis Dutrow Jr. said the autopsy Sunday morning on David J. Gorman confirmed the cause of death was drowning. Gorman had no history of health problems and was in good health, Dutrow said. Police were ruling out foul play Sunday night.

Gorman, 54, participated in wrestling, track and field, and football at Biglerville High School. As quarterback for the football team, he led the Canners to a victory in the Blue Mountain League Championship.

"He was a good quarterback, called all his own plays. He was a good lead over the kids," said Jack Emanuel, Gorman's football coach. "I was head coach, but when I had a kid like that, I let him call his own plays."

The 1972 graduate also set a high school record in pole vaulting that still stands 37 years later, according to his younger brother, Thomas Gorman, of Littlestown.

"In his nephew's words, he was a ridiculous athlete," Thomas said.

Thomas said he and his brother would go on skiiing trips with friends, many of whom David met through Ed's Ski Shop in York. A group of about 20 would regularly ski together.

"He just had so many friends whenever he went anywhere," Thomas said.

After continuing to compete in college, David spent 20 years away from the sport of pole vaulting, filling his time with skiing and taking up cycling in 1983. Ten of those years were spent living what Thomas termed an enviable life in Sun Valley, Idaho, working at ski shops and making occasional trips to New York, Vermont and New Hampshire to ski.
As a cyclist, he participated in Bike Across America and was one of the few to complete the entire course without missing a mile, Thomas said. Most recently he taught a cycling class in the evenings at the YWCA Gettysburg and Adams County.

But teaching was not new to David, who returned to pole vaulting in the late '90s as both a coach and an athlete.

"He just formed his life around all of his activities," Thomas said.

In 2007, David competed in national competition and tied for 22nd in the USA Masters Track and Field for the age group 50 to 54. With his brother, Steven, he co-founded the Heritage Vault Club, and also served as a consultant and assistant coach for the Gettysburg High School track and field team.

Through both of these endeavors, he was able to coach and mentor a number of young athletes, including Lindsay Kopenhaver and Leandra "Dede" Golden, both of Hanover High School, as well as his two nephews, Tyler, 26, and Kyle, 22, who pole vaulted at Littlestown High School.

"Kids love him because he's always positive," said Jack Harbaugh, the Gettysburg High School track and field coach. "He was a real inspiration to the kids."

According to Harbaugh, David would have the pole vaulters over to his home for "get-togethers" on Wednesday nights. David and his brother, Steve, were instrumental in making pole vaulting into a true extracurricular activity instead of just something to do after school hours, Thomas said. Students traveled from upper Dauphin County, Harrisburg and Altoona to participate in workshops.

"He had the kids' respect and they liked him so they kept doing it. So, they jumped until it was too cold to jump and started as soon as it was warmer," Thomas said.

David was always willing to help out aspiring vaulters, Hanover coach Tara Bahn said.

"He was very open to letting anyone come and work with him," she said. "Although not a (team) coach, he worked with Lindsay. He definitely had a big impact on the pole vaulters."

David even helped train his nephews' rivals, according to Thomas.

"That was a true sign of love for the sport and his ability to teach," Thomas said.

"He didn't push people hard because he didn't have to. He just brought the best out of them," Thomas said. "He was 5'4" and just a solid stick of dynamite."

[Bubba PV]

Dave (and Steve) are amazing athletes. I've enjoyed their company in Steve and Amy's home and taken many vaults in their backyard.

http://www.bubbapv.com/Pages/BYVault-Gormo.htm

So sorry to hear the news. Bubba

[rainbowgirl28]

http://ydr.inyork.com/ci_10098417

Area coach dies at 54

David Gorman, who trained and inspired local pole vaulters, drowned.
By JAMIE McCUNE
For the Daily Record/Sunday News

Article Last Updated: 08/05/2008 08:44:51 AM EDT

David J. Gorman, a Biglerville man known for his athletic accomplishments and for mentoring young athletes in pole vaulting, died Saturday night in an accidental drowning at a private residence.

Adams County Deputy Coroner Francis Dutrow Jr. said the autopsy Sunday confirmed the cause of death was drowning. Gorman had no history of health problems and was in good health, Dutrow said.

Gorman, 54, participated in wrestling, track and field and football at Biglerville High School. As quarterback, he led the Canners' football squad to a Blue Mountain League championship.

"He was a good quarterback, called all his own plays," said Jack Emanuel, Gorman's football coach. "I was head coach, but when I had a kid like that, I let him call his own plays."

The 1972 graduate also set a high school record in pole vaulting that still stands 37 years later, said his younger brother, Thomas Gorman of Littlestown.

"In his nephew's words, he was a ridiculous athlete," Thomas Gorman said.

Thomas Gorman said he and his brother would go on skiing trips with friends, many of whom David Gorman met through Ed's Ski Shop in York. A group of about 20 would regularly ski together.

"He just had so many friends whenever he went anywhere," Thomas Gorman said.

After college, David Gorman spent 20 years away from the sport of pole vaulting, filling his time with skiing and taking up cycling in 1983. Ten of those years were spent living in Sun Valley, Idaho, working at ski shops

[rainbowgirl28]

http://ydr.inyork.com/ci_12822103

Vaulting in memory of Dave
By FRANK BODANI
Daily Record/Sunday News
Updated: 07/12/2009 07:45:50 PM EDT

They still come on Sunday afternoons to the house in the woods, to run and flip and fly through the air.

They still come to the place a couple of miles south of Gettysburg to pole vault.

Of course, it is different now.

How can it not be?

It's been nearly a year since Steve Gorman has been able to work the kids through another practice with the help of just about his most favorite person in the world.

It's really been that long, already, that his brother, Dave, has been gone.

* * *

Forty years ago, the Gorman brothers were about the best vaulters Biglerville High had ever seen -- or maybe ever will.

Steve was good, but Dave was better. Though he was only 5-foot-4 and about 145 pounds, Dave still amazed with jumps over 14 feet.

Their unique, extreme sport, as vaulting was called back then, drew the brothers close. And when college competition was over and they married and started careers, they migrated back to vaulting.

"Basically doing a handstand on top of a pole is pretty intimidating to a lot of people," Steve Gorman said. "It's hard to describe the exhilaration of swinging up and clearing the cross bar and coming down on the other side, knowing you made it.

"Some people just aren't comfortable leaving the ground."

Vaulters, doing what most other
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track and field athletes would never even try, form strong bonds among themselves. And the Gormans not only wanted to keep jumping as adults, they wanted to pass on their experience.

So they built a runway and pit at Steve's home and began tutoring anyone who wanted to come. Six years ago, they also decided to stage an all-day vaulting festival next to Lake Heritage near Gettysburg, building the runway together.

That's why Steve felt compelled to bring back the idea last month, nearly a year after Dave, 54, died in an accidental drowning.

Steve needed the event last month to help him move on because he could barely bring himself to even attend a high school track and field meet this past spring. And every time he started a home repair project, he thought of his brother, who was always right there.

Dave was quiet but friendly and regularly gave away extra skis or vaulting poles to those who needed them more.

He was a free spirit who often ditched his work as a commercial painter for mountain bike, kayak or ski trips.

"I hope to be more like him," his brother said. "He worked hard, but he didn't get caught up" in life's numbing routines.

And even his demons, like alcohol, didn't drive many away, friends describing him as a leader within Alcoholics Anonymous.

So months after his brother died, Steve knew the one thing he needed: to bring back that pole vault festival by the lake, the one he and Dave put together six years before. He built the kind of runway that he and Dave built together. And he lined up the bands and a charity to help those with physical and mental disabilities, and he got the word out.

And the vaulters, about 30 of them, showed up to perform and to remember one of their own.

It helped.

Steve, 57, made a pretty good jump himself, clearing 11 feet, 6 inches. He tried to make a speech but broke down and couldn't finish.

Still, it all helped.

"I still miss him," Steve said. "It's a day he would have been grinning ear to ear, like I was all day long."

Steve admits he is more contemplative now, more appreciative of his family, even more emotional.

He loves his brother as much as ever.

That's why he knows the pole vaulting festival will be back again next summer.