Eric Piper

Steve Virgen

Peace.

That’s what Eric Piper’s life is all about.

It’s not as if he never had peace in his life before; it’s just

that he had been too busy running around to fully take notice.

Piper, a Corona del Mar resident who is 69, has competed in the

Boston Marathon five times, countless triathlons and the Ironman in

Hawaii, just a few events of the many which required extensive and

rigorous training. Now Piper is grounded, so to speak. He’s suffering

from pain in his Achilles tendon, which is actually symbolic of a man

whose accomplishments at an old age seem mythical.

In Greek myth, Achilles was a great warrior whose only vulnerable

spot was his heel. However, Piper has not been left totally

vulnerable. He still maintains great health. He still swims, as he is

in the masters program at UC Irvine, and he continues to ride his

bike.

Piper, obviously, does not compete in college sports anymore, but

he’s still an all-American in his own right. He doesn’t compete in

triathlons any longer, but, in his own way he remains an iron man.

It seems as if there is still an ‘S’ slapped on his chest.

So, just who is Eric Piper?

If you ask him, he will tell you a few colorful stories and

downplay the greatness of his accomplishments. He’ll tell you he’s

found success, and it’s not just about his career. He’ll tell you the

way he attained goals was by earning them. Hard work. Discipline.

Talent comes last on the list.

As for his career, Piper will be 70 in six months, and he’s not

retired. He still works for his own business, a packaging company for

which his son, Eric Jr., also works for.

“I don’t know what I would do if I stopped working,” said Piper

who has been living in the same home in Corona del Mar with his wife,

Beryl -- he calls her Barry -- for 33 years.

They’ve been married for 47 years and have two sons, Eric Jr. and

Jonathan, and one daughter, Jennifer. They attended Corona del Mar

High and competed in water polo and swimming. Piper and his wife have

six grandchildren, two from each of their children. The little ones

are another reason Piper continues to work.

“I want the best for them, put away money for their college

education,” Piper said.

Piper knows the importance of college. He earned his undergraduate

degree at Adelphi University and his Master’s in business

administration at Hofstra. Originally from New York, Piper competed

in swimming and lacrosse and is in Adelphi’s Hall of Fame. He was

inducted in 1999, joining notables Olympian Bob Beamon and the NFL’s

Al Davis.

“I’ve never been a great swimmer, but I stayed with it,” Piper

said. “We were undefeated my senior year and I was co-captain. I was

also a fair lacrosse player, I guess.”

At Adelphi, and while playing lacrosse, Piper developed his

passion for competition and the value of discipline. Those attributes

intensified when Piper joined the Marines. He spent four years in

active duty and remained active in the reserves for 26 years. He

retired as a colonel in 1987. His friends continue to call him, “The

Colonel.”

Throughout his 40s and 50s, Piper competed in marathons, and in

the early 1980s, he started to pick up triathlons. At age 60, he won

the Ironman national short-course championships and the long-course

title as well. He also won the 60-and-above age division for the

Ironman in Hawaii, the most prestigious race among triathletes.

Twice he’s completed the London-to-Brighton race, which is 54

miles, and he did it under eight hours. When he would train for

triathlons he would run 60 miles a week, bike ride 225 miles a week

and swim 10,000 meters a week, all because, “I just wanted to do it.”

“I have these buddies who encourage me, they think I can do

anything,” he said. “They don’t know how hard it is for me. I don’t

have a lot of natural ability. All I have is a will to work. And I

have endurance. I’m not really a talented guy.”

In addition to swimming at UCI, Piper also has a scholarship in

his name. The award, called the Eric Piper Ironman, is given to a

member of the UCI swim team, specifically an athlete who displays

great effort and discipline.

Symbolic.