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USA Track & Field’s Athlete of the Week has burned some tread on the soles of her shoes. More specifically, Ida Keeling is 100-years-old and just set a world record after winning a 100m race at Pennsylvania’s Franklin Field.
Keeling didn’t even start running until she was in her late 60’s, when her daughter helped her train for a 5k race. And after winning the 100m dash in the 80 years and up category in just 1 minute and 17 seconds, she dropped to the ground—not out of exhaustion—but to bust out a few pushups, bringing the 44,469 in attendance to their feet.
“I was so happy,” Keeling told TODAY. “I didn’t come out here to be a loser even though I felt tired. I said that I would just push on the best I could, and it was just at that pace.”
And it turns out her daughter Shelley, now 64-years-old herself, sees more records ahead for her world class athlete of a mom. “I’d rather she leave on a high note,” she said. “She’s quite strong, and there’s no records in any of the powerlifting, bench, squat and deadlift.”
Killing is about to turn 101-years-old and like anyone who has made it to such an advanced age, she was asked for her secret to longevity. Of course, this advice comes with the added accomplishment not just living, but truly embracing life for all its worth.
“Eat for nutrition, not for taste,” she said in a separate interview with CBS. “Do what you need to do, not what you want to do, and make sure you exercise at least once every day.
