Standard-Examiner photographer on Today Show

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NEW YORK -- Photographer Ryan McGeeney appeared on NBC's Today Show Friday morning to talk about his experience of being struck by a javelin at a track meet.


Updated Friday May 23, 2008 at 9:55 a.m.

Shis-kebabbed photographer endures piercing media attention

OGDEN -- Ryan McGeeney may never take another photograph as notorious as the self-portrait he snapped Saturday.

The Standard-Examiner photographer is receiving international attention for the shot he took of his own leg, impaled by a javelin thrown at the Utah high school track and field championships in Provo.

McGeeney, who was in an off-limits area when the accident occurred, admits it was his fault. He escaped serious injury, but the javelin did not -- most of it was sawed off to allow McGeeney to be transported to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center, where the tip was removed.

Within a few hours of the incident, McGeeney got a ride from a policeman back to the meet, where he kept shooting with 13 stitches in his leg.

When McGeeney picked up the camera to chronicle his own injury, he began the transformation from shish-kabobbed media member to media-sought celebrity.

Since then, the 33-year-old former Marine has talked to National Public Radio and is tentatively scheduled go on NBC's "The Today Show" on Friday, but he's trying to keep his newfound notoriety in perspective.

"I'm always a little reticent whenever the media in general begin to be obsessed about a member of the media, so I'm not really eager to let this thing get terribly out of hand," he said.

"It's a little bit silly -- it's a fairly minor incident -- so I'll entertain this exactly once."

Once the Associated Press distributed the story, accompanied by McGeeney's own bloodless photograph showing the javelin spearing his skin just below the knee, newspapers, television stations and blogs were quick to pick up on its unique nature.

A Google News search for "Ryan McGeeney" late Tuesday turned up approximately 300 news reports.

"This can't be the latest fad in body piercing," a San Jose Mercury News headline read.

"Just a flesh wound ... Keep shooting, Marine," said The San Diego Union Tribune.

"Cause for a pause: Ex-Marine wins javelin catch," The Detroit News added.

"Photographer hit by javelin takes a lickin', keeps clickin'," Canada's Ottawa Sun reported.

McGeeney thinks the clock is already ticking on his 15 minutes of fame.

"To my family and my wife's family, this will probably be something we talk about for a while, but for the rest of the world, this probably has a very limited shelf life," McGeeney said.

"I suspect, by this time next week, the world will have moved on to more important problems."

Still, McGeeney hasn't had any second thoughts about photographing the javelin stuck in his leg.

"I don't think I'll ever regret doing my job," he said.

Provo High thrower Anthony Miles actually locked up the state 4-A title with the fateful toss, measured at 170 feet, 7 inches, though he finished with a slightly better one later of 170-9.

Tuesday, with McGeeney attending a photography seminar in Jackson Hole, Wyo., Standard-Examiner visuals editor Robert Johnson spent the day responding to media requests for McGeeney.

"I just never knew that someone getting hit by a javelin would create so much excitement in the media world," Johnson said. "At first, I thought it was exciting, but after a certain point, you just want to unplug the phone."

Johnson got calls for McGeeney from, among others, local television stations, NBC News in New York and Los Angeles, Sports Illustrated's Dan Patrick Show and Italy's La Gazetta dello Sport newspaper.

Johnson also did an interview with CNN Radio.

The nature of the photograph, taken by the photographer who was injured, is what gives McGeeney's story its unique appeal, Johnson said.

A high school girl in Louisiana was hit in the hand by a javelin April 22, avoiding both serious injury and national media scrutiny.

In 2006 in Utah, Panguitch High student Taylor Bremner recovered from falling on a javelin that pierced his eye socket and entered 4 inches of his brain. Saturday, Bremner took second in the 1-A javelin competition with a throw of 167-07 -- also a compelling story, but not a national one.

"Most people would have just fainted or not thought about taking photos of themself," Johnson said. "Ryan picked up his camera -- maybe out of instinct. A lot of photographers are that way when they get freaked out about something. The first thing they do is start taking pictures. He was probably in shock."

The fact that McGeeney returned to the job adds to the intrigue, Johnson said.

"That's just above and beyond the call of duty. He's either crazy or very dedicated."

Out of everything that sets the story apart, Johnson said Miles' role is the kicker.

"That's the freak incident of the whole thing is that the kid won the championship," he said. "What are the odds of getting hit by a javelin, and what are the odds that javelin, that one, is going to win the championship. That, to me, defies logic."

Miles' nearest competitor's best throw was 163-09 -- 7 feet and one leg short of where McGeeney stood.

Javelin man on Standard.net

OGDEN -- An interview with injured Standard-Examiner photographer Ryan McGeeney has been posted on standard.net, the newspaper's Web site. In the interview, McGeeney discusses how he came to be struck by a javelin tossed during the Utah high school championship track and field meet Saturday in Provo.

McGeeney was not seriously injured in the incident, although his wound did require 13 stitches to close.

The incident has attracted nationwide attention, with numerous news media outlets contacting the Standard-Examiner for more information on the photographer, who took pictures of his leg while being treated by emergency personnel at the stadium.

PROVO -- Ryan McGeeney served seven years in the Marines, including a six-month deployment in Afghanistan, but 10 minutes of photographing the state high school track championships proved to be more dangerous to him.

Hours after his leg was pierced by a javelin at BYU's Clarence Robison track stadium, McGeeney was fortunate to be able to appreciate the irony.

The Standard-Examiner photographer was struck below the knee by a javelin while shooting the discus event shortly after 9 a.m. Saturday, delaying the events while an ambulance pulled onto the track to take him to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center.

"They don't have javelins in Afghanistan," McGeeney joked after returning a few hours later to continue shooting photos of the track meet. "That's where I'm lucky."

McGeeney was watching a Top of Utah competitor in a girls discus event at the north end of the track infield when he was skewered just below the right knee by a javelin from the south side.

Dave Wilkey, executive director of the Utah High School Activities Association, said it was clear McGeeney crossed marked boundaries to enter the field of competition.

"(McGeeney) was not where he should be," Wilkey said. "He took off across a sector line. He never saw it hit him."

McGeeney said he didn't realize he was in the danger zone of the javelin event until officials started to shout warnings.

"It basically came from about my seven o'clock or eight o'clock," he said. Right before it hit, the official started to say 'Look out! Look out!' and I started to look over to the javelin right when it went through. There was the kind of tight feeling in the skin where I could say, 'oh yeah, it went through me,' but it wasn't real painful."

Medical personnel determined quickly not to remove the javelin at the scene.

"I was very lucky in that it didn't hit any blood vessels, nerves, ligaments or tendons. It just went through the skin," McGeeney said.

An emergency medical technician cut most of the javelin off, leaving about a foot and a half of the tip in McGeeney's leg before he was transported to the medical center.

After an incision was made and the offending javelin lifted out, the wound was cleaned, sewn up with 13 stitches and bandaged.

Back on the job, McGeeney said it was his pride that suffered most.

"It was pretty embarrassing." he said. "I just felt like a jackass. I wasn't scared. You can tell right away when you're hurt really bad. I just knew I wasn't really injured."

Wilkey said McGeeney stayed calm.

"He never lost consciousness," Wilkey said. "He was laughing and joking with the medical people that were taking care of it."

Then McGeeney called a co-worker to report the injury -- and got out his camera to document the damage done to his leg.

"It just kind of seemed like the thing to do," McGeeney said. "It's one of those things where, if I didn't take pictures of it, I'd wish I had. Also, if I didn't, it would probably be my editor's first question when I got back."

McGeeney, 33, has been working as an intern on the newspaper's photo staff since November and will return to the University of Kansas in the fall semester to complete a graduate degree in journalism.

Provo High javelin thrower Anthony Miles felt terrible about the accident, though McGeeney reassured him it was not his fault.

"My heart just stopped, and when I heard that he was going to be OK, it was just a nice relief that he was going to be all right," Miles said.

And the rest of the story?

The throw was measured by the event judges and sealed the state 4-A javelin title for Miles, he said.

"My very last throw I think I beat it by three inches (170-feet, 9-inches), but still with that throw, I would have taken state."

Updated on Sunday, May 18, 2008



S-E photographer struck in the leg with javelin at track championships

PROVO -- A Standard-Examiner photographer was struck by a javelin at the state high school track championships Saturday morning, delaying the event for about an hour as he was transported to Utah Valley Medical Center.

The javelin struck photographer Ryan McGeeney just below the knee after he crossed a boundary while shooting the nearby discus event at BYU's Clarence Robison track stadium, said Dave Wilkey, executive director of the Utah High School Activities Association.

Wilkey said the wound appeared to be fairly superficial, lifting the skin on the front side of McGeeney's leg without hitting the bone just below the knee.

"We're all extremely lucky," he said.

Discus and javelin judges reported McGeeney was shooting the discus event before crossing into the javelin competition, Wilkey said.

"(McGeeney) was not where he should be," Wilkey said. "He took off across a sector line. He never saw it hit him."

The javelin was cut off, leaving the tip inside the leg so medical personnel could transport McGeeney in the ambulance.

"He never lost consciousness," Wilkey said. "He was laughing and joking with the medical people that were taking care of it."

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