Olga (8 page)

The walk to the podium to receive my first gold medal in a track and field competition was an exhilarating experience. Sheer ecstasy! I have gone on to win more than 600 gold medals in my athletic career, but I will always remember that day in Tuscon. I had won my first international gold medal; I was hooked. I realized that I loved track and field; I loved competing; I especially loved the feeling of camaraderie among the
athletes.

Earlier in the day, while strolling around the track, a man walked by me and said, “Well, that’s a winner if I ever saw one!” I looked down on my chest, and I saw that my competition number was 777. What a lovely coincidence: I’m the seventh of eleven children. Seven must be my lucky number. I guess I did something fantastic that
day.

The success of my new athletic career encouraged me to challenge myself more, so I began competing in local, national, and international championships. In 1999, at the age of 80 years, I competed in 9 local, national, and international championships. The World Masters Athletics Championships in Gateshead England was my first World Track and Field Meet abroad. With trepidation, I anticipated competing against more experienced, seasoned, and former Olympic athletes. Luckily, I blended in with the crowd of almost 6,000 athletes from 74 countries, of which 134 participants were from Canada. The whole experience was truly one of a kind. The sounds of all the different languages from various countries made the experience all the more
exciting.

The first day I competed in the hammer throw and 100m sprint in the woman’s 80-84 age group. I earned a gold medal in each event. The next day was the shot put competition where I received a third gold medal. The excitement in me was building, overcoming my initial fear as I realized that I could throw farther and run faster than the big, muscular, more experienced German and Russian athletes. The momentum continued throughout the
competition.

I came home with a total of 8 gold and 2 silver medals. I also set two World Records for the high jump (92cm) and weight pentathlon (3721
points).

The experience was incredible and not one to be forgotten. Many of the athletes asked where I had been for the past years and why I had not been competing with them. I told them I wasn’t aware that this kind of competition even existed. The encouragement and camaraderie were a tremendous boost to my self-esteem. After a number of years being a retired teacher, I had now discovered an exciting path that led to a new and untapped version of myself at the age of 78. I was a champion athlete, a competitor that could win medals. I happily identified with this new image of myself, an identity that I planned to nurture for the rest of my
life.

To date, at the age of 95, I have amassed 9 bronze medals, 21 silver medals, and over 700 gold medals. I don’t hoard them in boxes behind the chesterfield; I give them away as gifts for anniversaries, birthdays, rewards for good deeds, and at our church bazaars. One day, 63 people participated in a church sports’ event; at another event, 74 international delegates attended a Vancouver convention and each of them received a gold
medal.

My journey as a serious athlete began 13 years after retiring from my teaching career. I chose to become a young-at-heart athlete rather than an old woman. Today I have more energy, more strength, more stamina, and more spirit than ever before, and I feel
great!

I do this to stay flexible and to maintain good health in body, mind and
spirit.

Being a track and field athlete provides the strength and endurance to keep my body healthy. I continue to train outdoors, on my own, at a local high school track and field facility, when it is not raining. I have learned to prepare properly for each of the track and field events I enter and, when executed in the right way, those events can result in success every time. Stan Jensen, a trainer, maintained that “if you under-train, you might not finish; if you over-train, you might not start”. I feel I am quite proficient in the skills I have acquired for competitions. I need only to maintain my endurance. Both aerobic and endurance training provide the greatest benefits for reducing blood
pressure.

Once you get serious about competing, training is no longer a chore. It’s what makes you happy. It becomes a near obsessive way of life. You want to get into the shot put ring knowing you did more and are better prepared than the other athletes. And what draws people into the ring is a high like no other. You step in, and you can’t even hear the crowd cheering. You’re thinking about the record of the best throw so far. It’s the ultimate rush; you’re putting everything you have at risk to prove you’ve trained harder and you want it more. Beecher Riesin, trainer from the Champion Martial Arts Academy in North Vancouver, describes it well: “You know if you lose you can get eliminated. If you win, you’ve conquered
success.”

I measure and account for all the moments when I am most happy as a competitive athlete. I keep exact records of all my track and field competitions. I place great importance on the measurement of my progress. Why? Because I need to know what I am able to achieve. If I can’t measure it, I can’t manage
it.

If you look after the little things, sometimes the big things take care of themselves. Track and field is my passion, and currently I hold 26 world records. My track and field events consist of the
following:

Sprints—100m, 200m, 400m,
800m;

Jumps—high jump, long jump, triple
jump;

Throws—shot put, discus, javelin, hammer,
weight;

Pentathlon—hurdles, long jump, shot put, high jump and
800m;

Throws Pentathlon—weight, hammer, shot put, discus,
javelin;

Relays—4 x 100m, 4 x 200m, 4 x
400m.

These are the events in which I compete, but there are many other different and various sports events a person could choose from. Track and field competitions also include hurdles, pole vault, distance walking, and
running.

Games’ championships are composed of some 26 or more different sports, beginning with archery. Ball sports include baseball, basketball, bowling, golf, racquetball, softball, tennis, table tennis, and volleyball. Other sports are badminton, cycling, horseshoes, race walking, road racing, shuffleboard, swimming, and triathlon. If you need a challenge to keep fit, make your choice, have fun, and go for it. Use it or lose it! If you need help, email me. Hurdles, pole vault, distance walking, and running are great
events.

There had not been any jumps records for women in the 90-94 age group as no one in that age category had ever tried competing in these events. At age 90, I established World Records in high jump (0.82 meters), long jump (1.77 meters) and triple jump (4.25 meters). I challenge other women to strive to beat these records because I believe all records are made to be broken. I’m not easily impressed with my own fame, but people see my stats and stats don’t lie. Thank you for helping me build my spirit. I hope to jump when I turn 95 and 100. God
willing.

Be ready for your turn. Patrik Giardino
photo.

It was in March 2010 that I received an invitation for study and research from Dr. Tanja Taivassalo, researcher at McGill University Kinesiology Department. Dr. Taivassalo had attended the World Outdoor Masters 2009 Track and Field Championship in Lahti, Finland and watched me compete at 90 years of age. She and her team were anxious to test my physical abilities in the Montreal lab. I have included the Montreal episode in the Community
chapter.

The writer, Bruce Grierson, arranged a trip for me to meet with Dr. Art Kramer and his staff at Beckman Institute, University of Illinois in Chicago. The researchers peeked into my brain while a battery of tests—23andMe Genetic Health Overview was performed. This commentary is highlighted also in the Community chapter.
What Makes Olga Run
by Bruce Grierson will be published in January
2014.

My World Track and Field Records as of August 2013, compiled by Harold Morioka, B.C. Representative to the Canadian Masters Athletics
Association.