60 | AUGUST 2019
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.
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.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!Photo: espn.com