Local track & field star awarded Hall of Fame
Eric Walter eating fire at a festival in downtown Adrian. Photo courtesy Denise Walter.
by Marsha Chartrand
Eric Walter, a graduate of Manchester High School and a famed performer at local fairs, festivals, and parades, was recently awarded as a Hall of Fame national track star at Siena Heights University in Adrian.
The March 21 ceremonies recognized the final awardees, since the University is set to close in June.
But even so, this recognition just adds to Walter’s laurels, which begin in high school track as the track team captain, current record holder of the 4×800 and, until recently, the 800m record in Manchester Track & Field. During college, he and a few friends decided to ride their bicycles from Adrian to Key West, a 37-day trek, to raise money to fight cancer. He ran cross-country and indoor and outdoor track and field during his college years at Siena Heights university, for which he received the Hall of Fame award for National Association Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) — a six-time national qualifier for NAIA and four-time All-American.
After college he began juggling and fire eating and is well-known as “Eric the Juggler.” And now he has been listed as a three-time Guinness World Record holder for “Joggling,” which is running and juggling at the same time. He continues to juggle at local festivals.
Walter resides in Adrian with his wife and three children and works as a firefighter and paramedic in Canton. He continues to run marathons, and his children are following in their dad’s track tradition.
Congratulations, Eric, on your most recent achievement. We fully expect to see more in the future!
On their 37-day ride from Adrian to Key West to fight cancer. (Courtesy Denise Walter.)
Still “joggling”! Eric running for the Siena Heights team. (Courtesy Denise Walter.)
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