| The speed at which one ages varies greatly. | | | | survive and bounce back so quickly. A recent Mayo |
| Repeatedly reading about and listening to men and | | | | Clinic/Wake Forest University study of stroke victims |
| women, just like you, who in their 40s, 60s, 80s... are | | | | backs up this thinking. The researchers concluded |
| proven to be in better shape, biologically younger, | | | | that being physically active before a stroke greatly |
| than the great majority of young adults challenges | | | | improves one's chances of recovery (Journal of |
| any self-destructive, self-limiting beliefs about aging | | | | Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, September |
| that may be hurting you. These old, outdated beliefs | | | | 2009). |
| can then be replaced by new, more empowering | | | | Five years after the strokes and almost 20 years of |
| ones. To be powerfully propelled to a more vibrant | | | | surviving breast cancer, Lois Ann, now 77, was |
| and youthful you, enjoy the article that follows and | | | | named 2007 Masters Athlete of the Year. She was |
| others like it. | | | | accorded this honor due to her "unparalleled" racing |
| Janesville, Wisconsin's Lois Ann Gilmore overcame | | | | results that year. Out of a massive 54 races, 5K to |
| two major life-threatening diseases to become the | | | | 15K in length, 35 of them were age graded 90% or |
| USA Track & Field's Masters Athlete of the | | | | above! A 100% grading is equivalent to a |
| Year. For just about everyone her story is truly | | | | World-Record performance and 90% and above is |
| inspiring, but for those of us who struggle mightily to | | | | classified as a world-class time. To put this in further |
| deal with a crick in our neck or the common cold, it's | | | | perspective, in 2007, only one other woman in Lois |
| doubly inspirational. | | | | Ann's age group achieved a 90% ranking and she did |
| Lois Ann's first brush with death came in her late | | | | it only a single time; all the women runners in the |
| fifties when she was struck with breast cancer. Up | | | | 40-49 age group, combined, only reached that level |
| until then, the former elementary school teacher had | | | | 20 times. Included in Lois Ann's 2007 runs were an |
| been very active, particularly loving to play tennis. | | | | American age-group Record 26:01 for the 5K and a |
| She found that the subsequent mastectomy made it | | | | national best 55:27 for the 10K. |
| difficult for her to continue with the tennis and her | | | | How did Lois Ann Gilmore bounce back from death's |
| other activities heavily dependent on arm action. To | | | | door -- twice -- to become the fastest over-70 |
| deal with the ensuing depression, she started walking, | | | | middle-distance runner in U.S. history? One, she used |
| but found that it "took too long." This led to her | | | | her running to take her mind off her health issues |
| starting to run; that was in 1989. She found the | | | | and put it on where she wanted to go -- reaching |
| running was instrumental in getting over the | | | | her racing goals. She pushes herself to try to beat a |
| depression and focusing too much on herself and her | | | | previous race time, which helps her focus on the |
| predicament. Lois Ann discovered she was pretty | | | | future. Two, Lois Ann stays active enjoying running, |
| good at middle-distance road racing -- distances of 5K | | | | reading and traveling, among other interests, all of |
| (3.1 miles), 10K... With dedicated training, she became | | | | which help to steer her mind in a positive direction. |
| nationally ranked third in her age group in 1997 and | | | | It's those fearful thoughts of what might happen to |
| rose to top-ranked in 2001. | | | | us that stresses us more than anything. This |
| Then disaster struck for a second time. While out for | | | | constant stress of continual worrying can weaken |
| her 5-mile long run, Lois Ann fell twice for no | | | | our immune system and actually make us more |
| apparent reason and started having vision problems. | | | | vulnerable to the unwanted stuff of life. We can |
| Her husband, recognizing the signs of a stroke, | | | | learn from Lois Ann the value of keeping physically |
| rushed her to the hospital, but she fell unconscious | | | | active and mentally looking forward to our goals and |
| before they arrived. Lois Ann spent nearly two | | | | aspirations or we can spend our time frozen in our |
| months in the hospital recovering from TWO major | | | | tracks, worrying and fretting. |
| strokes. At one point the doctors gave her a 10% | | | | Although she never considered herself a gifted |
| chance of surviving. They, however, underestimated | | | | athlete, amazingly, after twice being at the brink of |
| her mental resolve and resiliency. After about a | | | | death, Lois Ann Gilmore was able to regroup and |
| month at home, she was out running again. | | | | achieve greatness as a runner in her seventies. With |
| Lois Ann's doctor said that the excellent condition she | | | | her inspirational story prodding us onward, what can |
| was in before the strokes probably helped her | | | | we do? What CAN we achieve? |