“And if you could live to be 105 years old, think of all the benefits of being alive. And here’s the best part: If you’re very young at heart, “You can get a head start,” sings Frank Sinatra.
At 105 years old, with freshly picked flowers in her hair, Julia Hawkins became the first woman of her generation and the first American to set a world record for running the 100 meters at the Louisiana Senior Olympics. . This inspiring woman started running in her 90s. As for her race, she said it’s just a drop in the bucket in the race of her life, having been through two world wars and been married for 70 years. the love of her life.
Mr. Hawkins is truly a lovable longevity warrior who has maintained incredible cognitive and physical abilities. Hawkins says she keeps in shape by jogging one to two miles every day near her home in Baton Rouge, which she built with her husband in 1948. When she looks back on her life, she says with a little laugh, she used to be more calm. That way, there will be fewer buttons for her to push and more books for her to read.
She is a teacher, loves nature, became an avid gardener, and met the love of her life while attending LSU. Eight years later, the college sweethearts married over the phone while Murray was serving at Pearl Harbor in World War II. Together they raised three children, and after 70 years of marriage, he died at the age of 95.
Hawkins said she never imagined she would live to be over 100, but it wouldn’t be the same without her husband, and it wouldn’t be great at all. Sharing her loving memories, she recalls that the night her husband died, she was singing love songs before going to bed.
“One of my kids said it would be great to run 100 races when I’m 100 years old.[meter] 100 second dash and do it in 100 seconds,” Hawkins says, sharing another memory. “And I did it in much less time than that.”
On the day of the race, Hawkins was able to complete the race in just under 1 minute and 3 seconds with the support of his friends, sister, and former students. Even though I couldn’t see a few feet ahead of me and the wind was blowing, I continued in my lane. At a press conference after the race, Hawkins continued to build on her tradition of competitiveness and said she would run the race again within another year. And she added, with a little laugh, at her wit, although it might depend on her mood when she woke up in the morning.
“You know, when you’re 105 years old, it’s hard to keep your balance. It’s hard to just stand,” Hawkins said.
“The wind was bad. It was cold, but I still wanted to do it,” Hawkins said after the race. “A lot of my friends came today. I have students here today from three different classes that I taught, and I wanted them to feel like their teacher did a job well done.” I like to please people and this is one way to do that.”
Before the race, Hawkins said she was naturally athletic, having been a cyclist before becoming a runner and winning several gold medals in past senior Olympic competitions. She says she feels different when she runs, and that she gets a strange feeling when she’s running as fast as she can. Ms. Hawkins likes to spend time looking back at more meaningful times in her life and calling them magical moments.
“Magical moments are like seeing something unusual that you’ve never seen before, like a particularly beautiful sunrise or sunset or a shooting star. Amazing things like this are worth paying attention to,” she said. say. “You don’t have to be rich to meet them. You just have to be careful and keep an eye out for what’s out there.”
Ms. Hawkins has created and maintains wonderful gardens that are officially recognized as Louisiana Certified Habitat, and is especially proud of them, keeping some of her best gardens at home. However, most of the conversation turns to the topic of her late husband, showing the close connection the two shared. She shares another magical moment and reminisces about her long letter full of love that he wrote her while she was estranged during the attack on Pearl Harbor during World War II. Masu. She still reads books from time to time to cheer her up, remind her of her wonderful life together, and make her feel young again.
Many people have asked Hawkins how she gets inspired, and she explains: . If that’s what I’m doing, I want to do it. ”
“I believe that as we grow older, magical moments and passions should emerge. I care about a lot of things too. I care about flowers, birds, sunrises and sunsets. I’ve seen so many wonderful things in my life.
Still going strong, Hawkins was excited to celebrate her 108th birthday on February 10, 2024, surrounded by friends and family. She is living proof that it’s never too late to change your healthy lifestyle. Let her follow her example and get up off the couch to create her own magical moment.
