SMITH PROMOTES CCVMP IN THE OLYMPICS

Dr. Will Smith, who is known to his family and friends as Will or brother, entered the DeKalb County Senior Olympics on Saturday, May 15, 2010, and won two first place gold medals and one second place silver medal. In the track and field events Smith won gold in the 1.5 mile walk and the 25 yard dash and silver for the football toss.

Smith was born in Carrollton 73 years ago and grew up in Polk County. In high school he participated in track and field and played football. While serving in the U.S. Army from 1956 to 1962 he competed on a boxing team and was a middleweight champion while serving in Korea. He received his basic training at Ft. Jackson, S.C. and completed his heavy weapons training at Ft. Hood, Texas, before going to Korea for a year and a half. After leaving the Army, he attended nursing school and became a licensed practical nurse in 1968 and he worked at Battey State Hospital, which is now Northwest Georgia Regional Hospital. Later he worked for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs at the hospitals in Decatur and Augusta. It was at the hospital in Decatur that he learned about the DeKalb County Senior Olympics.

After Smith attended Covington Theological Seminary in Ft. Oglethorpe and earning his doctorate of ministries degree, he was pastor of Bethlehem Temple Church in Carrollton from 1970 to 2005. He still works out every day, even though he is a cancer survivor and he has lost some of his hearing and vision ability, and suffers from knee injuries from his days in the military.

The Veterans Park is important to Will and his wife Annie. They have continuously paid their dues and Will has served as Chaplain or Assistant Chaplain for years. They have two daughters: Camilla and Theresa; two sons: William Parks and Michael and eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Thank you Will Smith for representing the Veterans Park very well!