103-Year-Old Nicknamed The ‘Hurricane’ Wins Gold Yet Again

Can you imagine seeing your grandma or great-grandma sprinting past you in a race? Don’t be surprised if you do, as it is far from impossible!

Julia Hawkins, nicknamed “Hurricane”, is a real living miracle. This 103-year old lady is a mother of four, grandmother of three and great-grandmother of three. Yet, what makes her a real hero is her success in competitive cycling, which brought her numerous national titles.

At the 2019 Senior Games in Albuquerque, New Mexico, she won gold medals in both the 50-meter dash and the 100-meter dash in the women’s 100-plus division. However, this time she finished slightly slower than at the 2017 games when she set a world record with her 100-meter dash.

Hawkins believed this was due to her being older, or because of the atmosphere.

According to the National Senior Games Association, the non-profit organization that runs the Senior Games, she is the oldest woman to compete on an American track.

This amazing woman turned to running later in life, when biking on mountainous courses became too challenging. Yet, Hawking claims that says she has no issues with her knees or hips.

When asked about her secret to longevity, she says that she keeps moving, even though she no longer does any exercises particularly. Yet, she eats healthy and controls her body weight.

Her main physical activity is gardening at her home in Louisiana. She says she has an acre of land, and she works in it all the time. She has 30 bonsai bushes, and some of them are 40 or 50 years old.

Born on Feb. 9, 1916, Hawkins graduated with a teaching degree from Louisiana State University in 1938.

Her husband, Murray Hawkins, was a physics professor at the university, after surviving the bombing of Pearl Harbor, asked her to marry him, and they built their home.

He even made a box for her gold medals that she’s accumulated over the years.

She hopes that she is an inspiration to older people to not stop moving and keep doing things that they’re interested in, and adds that it is awe-inspiring to her to be able to do this.

She adds that at her age, every day is a miracle, so she cannot plan ahead for her next race, but she remains positive.

Yet, we are here to cheer her on- run, Hawkins, run!

Sources:
abcnews.go.com
www.apost.com
www.theticketmi.com
www.australianewsly.com

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