Pubdate: Thu, 20 Sep 2007 Source: Regina Leader-Post (CN SN) Copyright: 2007 The Leader-Post Ltd. Contact: http://www.canada.com/regina/leaderpost/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/361 Author: Tim Switzer, Leader-Post Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/heroin.htm (Heroin) SPREADING THE WORD Chuvalo continues to tour the world talking about the effects of drug addiction: 'You can't lose three kids and be normal.' Once they reach the age of 70, most boxers would give up the fight and settle into a cozy retirement. For former heavyweight George Chuvalo, that isn't an option. Chuvalo, who held the Canadian heavyweight title for over 20 years and fought for versions of the world heavyweight championship on three occasions, hit the milestone birthday on Sept. 12, but plans to continue touring the world talking about the effects of drug addiction, as he has been doing since 1996. "If I didn't, I would feel like my kids died in vain," said Chuvalo, who was in Regina on Wednesday to speak at the Big Brothers' annual dinner and auction. "It would hurt me emotionally if I wasn't out there talking to kids. When I do start slowing down, I'll probably feel guilty." Chuvalo lost three sons because of heroin. The youngest, Jesse, committed suicide in 1985 -- a year after developing an addiction to the drug. Jesse's older brother, Georgie Lee, the second youngest, overdosed eight years later. Chuvalo's first wife, Lynne, committed suicide four days after Georgie Lee's death, overcome by the grief of losing two sons. Steven Chuvalo, then 35, died of an overdose in 1996. Only a year earlier he had appeared in a CBC documentary about the family's struggles, speaking of losing his brothers and conquering his own addiction. George Chuvalo still shows that clip during his presentations. "I try not to see it," said Chuvalo. "It's bittersweet when I do see it. It's nice to see them talking and to actually see them. But in another way, it's hard." Staying away from the video screen is just part of the almost-nightly routine for Chuvalo. He admits he is "on automatic" during his speeches and therefore able to relay his message to his audience matter-of-factly. But that doesn't mean he has become numb to his family's tragic past. "I think about them all the time," said Chuvalo. "The worst time for me is just before I go to bed every night. I'm in bed by myself or with my wife and I just lie there and talk to myself. I have a hard time sleeping sometimes -- it's tough. It weighs heavily on your mind. "You can't lose three kids and be normal. I wouldn't be normal if I was normal. If I was normal like nothing bothered me, I wouldn't be normal. It's impossible to be normal. But you do the best you can. I'm OK for not being OK." Though Chuvalo still battles the tough memories as he travels the country, there are plenty of good moments as well. A few years ago a friend of Chuvalo's was told by an Ontario police officer that a 12-year-old boy, who had seen the boxer's presentation at his school, told authorities that his brother was going to rob a warehouse and use the proceeds on drugs. "After arresting the guy, the police went to his house and asked the brother, 'Why did you call the police?' " said Chuvalo. "He said, 'After hearing George Chuvalo speak, I didn't want what happened to George's family to happen to my brother.' " These days, Chuvalo's family life is much more stable. He lives in Toronto with his wife, Joanne, and has two step children with her as well as two children from his marriage to Lynne. He also has six grandchildren. With so much family to see, Chuvalo plans to slow down sometime soon, but needs to make a few more dollars on the road first. There was no such thing as a pension for a man who made his living in the ring in the 1950s, '60s and '70s. Plus, he occasionally gets to talk about his boxing days when he fought Muhammad Ali (twice), George Foreman and Joe Frazier, among others, but was never knocked down in his professional career. Those fights, all Chuvalo losses, are the ones people most often remember, but they forget that he accumulated a 73-18-2 record in his career (it should be 77 wins, he says, but the official total is missing four fights). He'd like to start training again and take on a hungry, young fighter, but there just isn't the time. "Training's the next-most fun you can have besides actually being in the ring," Chuvalo said. While he could slow down, Chuvalo still has the energy in the seventh decade of his life. He could pass for a man in his 50s, his arms look like they could still knock more than a few opponents to the ground and he keeps himself in peak shape (he was working out in the hotel gym at midnight Tuesday). With all that going for him, Chuvalo isn't feeling like a 70-year-old and will continue his fight to keep young people away from drugs. "If I didn't do it, I'd feel like I was cheating young people," said Chuvalo. "As long as I have the steam, I'll do it." - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake