On the day of the London Marathon I am always reminded of my late sister in law Madge. When I first met her she was approaching sixty....and had started to train for the Marathon and also for climbing Everest.
What prompted a woman to suddenly become an athlete in her old age is a bit of a mystery but basically she had something to prove! And she did.
She ran her first Marathon, albeit slowly , got funding from various firms around the country for her mountaineering and started a whole new career.
She had already been a favourite on Woman's hour and had written pieces for the Telegraph before she went on to appear regularly on local TV and had the fun of writing a book called "Fun at Fifty. Sin at Sixty" I am not sure it was ever published.
As a woman who also started a new career in her sixties I am certain I could never do what she did....she ran marathons all around the world, then half marathons and then needed new knees!
Still working in my chosen profession I know the joy it brings and the energy it consumes...and I am not running anywhere leave alone marathons!
Madge was invincible....made friends with other runners, got letters of support from all those whose path she crossed....she was quite a woman....her point made!
Sadly she died a few years ago but the world was a better place for having had her in it. I hope she's resting in peace having risen in glory.
3 comments:
I had the great privilege of meeting Madge in the early 90's at the London Marathon exhibition. I was registering for the race and Madge was selling copies of her book to raise money for charity. Of course, Madge 'conned' me into buying one. I still treasure it since she also signed it. She even 'conned' me into going back to her hotel with her to pick up more copies since she was on the point of running out, having sold the vast majority of the ones she had taken to the exhibition.
She was a dear old lady and an inspiration to us all.
May God bless her.
Paul
I forgot to mention in my previous post that I met Madge a few years later, again at the London Marathon Exhibition. Yes, she was still selling her book 'Marathon Madge (Aged 72 and still running). I asked Madge whether she was running in the marathon on Sunday. 'No dear, I'm far too old. But I have taken up canoeing!!'
Paul
Paul. Thank you for your memories. I didn't know about the canoeing! I hope your still running too!
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