The Return of ANDY BALTAKS

Yep, this is Andy Baltaks - July 2008.

Graham Brown, Andy Baltaks and myself met up in Yeoval, some 70 km south of Dubbo. (Graham on the left and Andy on the right.)

There was a Mulga Bill festival on the weekend of 26/27 July. Then there was a Bike for Bibles ride from Mon 28 July to Sat 2 Aug. Would you believe we also caught up with Graeme and Suzie O'Brien who were in Yeoval to enjoy the weekend.

For a 67 year old bloke (Andy, that is) who has just retired from 20+ years as a Baptist pastor in Germany, he rode extremely well. He is still a very fit athlete.

Andy, Graham and I all started WWTC in 1962. It was great to catch up after all those years. Andy was only out here for a couple of months.

I asked ex students if they remembered Andy Baltaks.... here are some of their comments:

Can't quite picture him but I do remember a fellow who used to wear a short sleeved white shirt in winter. Thought he was a bit strange. Sue (Upton) King

I remember Andy for exactly the same reason. His goal was to go through a winter in Wagga without wearing a jumper. Graham Brown was in Kabi dorm so I saw a fair bit of him too. Graham Wright

Andy would occasionally walk from his dorm to the dining room on his hands.
He was the first real gymnast I had met.
His forte was the pommel horse. Big bugger as well. Doug Walker

I remember Andy. He was a fitness fanatic. He challenged the Marinya boys to double the number of pushups that any one of us could do. I fancied myself as a pushup man so I took him on. I think I did about forty. Andy took the stage and warned us that he was going to strain out the last few as I had done, but he did not make the eighty. He reached at least sixty from memory. He used to pride himself at having cold showers in winter. Dino Forsythe

Andy's name 'rings a bell'. And I vaguely remember someone with a 'high resistance' to the cold. He would have been quite noticeable - the Wagga winters were cold! Amazing for you to meet up with him again. Cynthia (Richardson) Springvloed

I remember Andy too. A huge man who wandered around the campus on his hands and had 6 teaspoons of sugar in his tea or coffee. Russell Warfield

I remember him well!! A gorgeous big hunk of a man. I have a photo of him taken in '63 on a snow trip! Yummy! Marion (Smith) Giddy

Any others remember Andy?