I should mention that Mavis was also the first woman ever recorded to run an ultramarathon, which she did in her forties. Oh, and she is also the first woman to run across America, from LA to NYC, which she did in her fifties. The only reason she never competed in the olympics was simply because she wasn't allowed to, South Africa was banned back then.
How did I meet Mavis? Mavis's acquaintence was truly a gift from God, something I needed at the exact time it came. I was a brand new missionary in a strange land, overwhelmed at the trials of the people that were begging me for help, and I was sick as a dog wondering if I could keep doing this really hard thing. I remember driving down to her house one Sunday afternoon, excited to meet a cute little old lady that was part of this struggling branch that needed so much help.
We found Mavis in a house in the desert, renting a small bedroom from a kind family. In her room she had a twin bed, a computer (that she was fluent in), and a chair. as simple as could be. The first thing that surprised me about her was her posture - she stood straight up, she walked with the ease of a 5 year old and she did NOT look 84. I asked her to tell me her story, having NO idea what she would say. I thought I would hear the normal life story, got married, had kids, husband passed too soon, etc. Ummm. 'I'm an athlete,' she said. Not 'was', 'is'.
Her history - she was setting world records at age 47, just for little things you know, like the 100 MILE races. Everyone told her that a woman's body couldn't handle such things, only a man could accomplish such feats. She wouldn't respond, just keep running. When she was told she couldn't compete in a race, she would run it anyway, having her time never recorded.
Of her run across America, which she did as a 53 year old grandmother, she said, “There were times when I thought I could not run another step but would set my goal as the next crack in the road – and so I ran from crack to crack. The heavy trucks drawing trailers would lift me up as they passed and I would always land on my right leg. By the 33rd day I suffered a severe injury. I could not move and cried like a baby. But the next day I was back on the road again. I could not take painkillers as they would have masked any further injury taking place. It was very tough.
What brought me through were the words of the hymn Lead Kindly Light by John Henry Newman which I sang continually in my head.
Lead, kindly Light, amid th’encircling gloom, lead Thou me on!‘Four weeks of blistering heat were followed by four weeks of snow and icy winds and then a week of ceaseless rain. But when I reached Alantown the sun came out and stayed. When I crossed the line I could not believe it. I had achieved an ambition of a lifetime. The next morning I realized this could not be the end – I still had a lifetime ahead!”
The night is dark, and I am far from home; lead Thou me on!
Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see
The distant scene; one step enough for me.
One step at a time.
After her favorite running partner, her son, was tragically killed, she had even more motivation to keep her training up - she was running for the both of them now.
Oh the stories Mavis would tell, humbly, quietly, all the while mentioning the toll it may have taken on her then grown children, wondering if she would do it the same all over again. She was and is a powerhouse, neglecting her own health and comfort time after time, running races with a cracked collarbones and arms in casts.
I think about Mavis often. How she just kept going. And she keeps going. One foot in front of the other. From one crack in life to the next. She gave me one of her medals before I left that area. I have it, love it, will keep it forever.
“One must not retire,” she says. “We all need to be challenged along the way. I have been blessed in so many ways. All my strength does not come from myself. The Lord gives every bird his food, but he does not throw it into the nest. I have learnt that one has to get out of the nest. It is attitude not circumstances that create the events in our lives. We all make our choices and our mistakes. What counts is our attitude towards them.”
Here is a link to her biography:
http://biography-ebooks.com/sample/180643/unstoppable-woman
another neat article:
http://www.athletics-africa.com/features/159/2012/05/28/mavis_hutchison_fish_hoek_south_africas_galloping_granny.html
No comments:
Post a Comment