It is with deep regret that we announce the death of Dave Stevens from Steyning last week at the age of 84.
Dave, who worked for the Stock Exchange moved from Twickenham to Steyning in the 1970s. He was an established race walker, with his wife Rose Curtis who was herself an international standard jumper with Spartan Ladies.
He quickly integrated himself with race walking in Sussex and particularly Steyning where he took over the role of secretary of Steyning Athletic Club and proved their anchor for forty plus years.
A versatile walker Dave took part in every distance from the 3,000m right through to the London to Brighton race, both the Open and the Stock Exchange version which he won.
Throughout this time he was also one of the best walkers in Sussex winning a host of Sussex track and road titles and many times donning the Sussex vest in Inter-county competitions and also organising many Steyning races.
He was no mean performer nationally clocking 13:0.5s for 3,000m in 1975 and 45:19.5s for the 10,000m track walk in1981. His best in the 20km Road walk also came in 1981 with 1:34:19s while 1978 saw him record 4:49:25s in 1978.
He featured in the NUTS annual Ranking lists throughout the seventies and eighties and when he reached the Masters age groups he made many world trips to race in European and World Master’s Championships, frequently getting amongst the medals and winning titles.
Training and racing was just part of his involvement with race walking - if he was not racing he would be officiating at all club promotions, not only race walking.
He would frequently be one of the last ones to leave the club house after a function having helped out with the clearing up.
He will be seriously missed in Steyning and Sussex Race walking and affectionately remembered.
All of our thoughts are with Rose and their children Paul, Michael and Alison and grandchildren.