A GRANDFATHER from Woodford Green has reported on 13 summer Olympics and is about to report on his 14th at London 2012.

Patrick Rowley, 78, from Oakhill Crescent has attended every summer Olympics since 1960 and reported on his first Olympics at the tender age of 14 when the games came to London in 1948.

He said: "I approached the editor of the Middlesex Chronicle and asked him what they were doing for the Olympics and he said nothing because no-one local was taking part. So I saved up all my pocket money and went to every day of the Olympics.

"I only wrote little reports, and to be honest I didn't even check to see if they made it in the paper, I was just so happy to be doing something I enjoyed."

Mr Rowley then missed a few games while attending college and doing National Service, before going to Rome in 1960 to watch the hockey final.

Two years are more memorable to Mr Rowley than others and they are 1972 in Munich and 2000 in Sydney.

In 1972 a terrorist attack overshadowed the Olympics in Munich and Mr Rowley missed the attack by minutes.

"I had been told to sit and watch and wait for anything to happen. "After about six hours of lying on the grass in the compound below the Israeli quarters, I was relieved and told to go and get myself a cup of tea. "So I did and missed the finale. The big story that got away”.

Mr Rowley was also a judge for the hockey in Munich and he recalls that was the last time someone was able to be a judge and be a journalist at the same time.

The Olympics in Sydney in 2000 was Mr Rowley's favourite Olympics.

"They just had the right attitude. If we are half as good as them then we will have a fantastic Olympics. If something went wrong then they just laughed about it, rather than making a thing of it. It was by far my favourite."

Over the 52 years Mr Rowley has reported on the Olympic Games for every national newspaper, the BBC and Europa television.

He has media accreditation for London 2012 and has been commissioned to write part of the official Olympic report.

"It has been exhausting and exhilarating and I've loved every minute," he said.

Mr Rowley is to be recognised for his dedication to reporting on 14 summer Olympics and will be awarded by the International Sports Press Association (AIPS) with an Olympic torch replica on August 2.

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