Greg Foster, former Proviso Pirate and UCLA Hall of Fame champion hurdler, 1984 silver medalist, and three-time world champion, died at the age of 64 according to UCLA track and field and NBC sports.
Foster underwent emergency heart transplant surgery in 2020 after being diagnosed with a rare condition, Amyloidosis. Miraculously, just five weeks after the surgery, he was standing at the track invitational named for him, as reported in the Village Free Press.
According to NBC Sports, Foster won six national 110m hurdles, gold at three world outdoor championships, and the Olympic silver medal in the 1984 games, held in Los Angeles.
Foster tried out for the Proviso East basketball team his freshman year and made the first two cuts but ultimately didn’t make the team. At a friend’s suggestion, he gave track and field a try, and hit his stride in hurdling.
Foster would return annually to his alma mater’s track invitational. The Proviso East Greg Foster Invitational was held this past Saturday with 18 high schools represented from across the state.
The grandstands were full and the West indoor track was filled with athletes from across the state for the ninth annual Proviso East Greg Foster Invitational this past weekend.
The meet has become a testament to the life and legacy of the East alumnus. Schools invited included Metea Valley, Bolingbrook, Cahokia, Kenwood, Mather, Crete-Monee, Hinsdale South, DeKalb, Downers Grove South, Eat St. Louis, Glenbard South, Warren, Kankakee, Nazareth Academy, Proviso East, Oswego East, Stagg, Rockford East, Romeoville and Lake Park.
