The Reporter's Notebook, Ep. 17: Interesting People
Medals from many different runs are hung up at Anita Rockett’s home on Wednesday, April 27, 2022. Since Rockett’s boating accident that almost resulted in an amputated right leg, Rockett has run races all around the country. (Meg Potter / Las Cruces Sun-News)
In this week’s episode of The Reporter's Notebook, we’re talking about interesting figures in Las Cruces. Anita Rockett, for instance, is 69 years old. Nearly 50 years ago, she almost lost a leg in a boating accident. Since then, she has run countless marathons, and in June, she hopes to complete her first Ironman Half Triathalon.
We’ll talk to Sun-News reporter Leah Romero, who has reported these stories for the newspaper. Florence Hamilton, who just turned 100 years old, is a great storyteller. She uses her talent to share Black history. Newly-established Las Crucen Lyn Barrett explores her personal battle with Dissociative Identity Disorder in her new book, "Crazy: Reclaiming Life from the Shadow of Traumatic Memory.”
Barrett, 74, arrived in Las Cruces in early March from her longtime home in Upstate New York — a move made for closer proximity to children, grandchildren and warm weather. Jenny Matsler of Las Cruces has collected dozens of medals during her years involved with Special Olympics New Mexico. This summer, she will get her first opportunity to compete during the national games in Orlando on the state’s bocce team. David Hill, a Las Crucen, recently summited Mount Kilimanjaro on his second attempt, three years after suffering a debilitating injury. They all have interesting stories to share.
This podcast was originally published by the Las Cruces Sun-News.
