Gold Standard
This 103-Year-Old Woman Just Scored her Latest Gold Medal in Competitive Running
Got #fitgoals? This sassy centenarian cyclist turned decorated sprinter offers up a healthy dose of instant fitness inspo.
Fittingly dubbed “the Hurricane,” 103-year-old Julia Hawkins of Louisiana set a world record with her 100-meter dash at the 2017 Senior Games. And, in the series’ recent 2019 games in Albuquerque, she won gold medals in both the 50-meter dash and 100-meter dash in the women’s 100-plus category. This fierce, fit female is showing no signs of slowing down.
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A true testament to the age-old (no pun intended) adage, “Age is just a number,” this age-defying mother of four, grandmother of three, and great-grandmother of three, turned to running three years ago, at the seemingly youthful age of 100, when her competitive cycling hobby started becoming physically arduous due to the precipitous terrains and mountainous courses involved. No excuses for this medal maven.
Her secret to attaining AND sustaining that enviable stamina? “I just keep busy. I keep moving…I don’t do exercises, particularly. I used to, but I don’t think I need to anymore…I’ve always been careful about how I eat…[I eat] healthy and keep my weight at a certain point.” Hawkins attributes much of her physical fitness to gardening around her home in Louisiana. Inside her home, her doting husband keeps her gold medal collection in a special box, with some displayed throughout their house. Hawkins is the oldest female cyclist to compete on an American track, according to the National Senior Games Association, the non-profit that hosts the annual Senior Games.
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On prepping for the possibility of her next race, she tells Good Morning America, “You never know. When you’re 103, every day is a miracle. I just keep getting up and I’m here again.” Hhhmmm…sure does sound a lot like another famously familiar slogan. ‘Just do it.’
Looks like this GoGirl’s golden years are full of, well, gold!
