TN50#183_World Record Sprinter Dies at 108_2 December_2024
Hi Team,
Can you imagine living to 108? Wait that’s about 1700 weeks longer than your 4000-weeks poster! How about living to 100? That’s 22.5 years longer than the United States current life expectancy. Can you imagine starting a new sport at 100? How about starting a new sport at 75? I don’t know many of my peers in their 50’s picking up new sports much less any 75- or 100-year-olds.
Happy Monday and welcome to The Next 50 #183. I like to think of personal performance in 3 components: physical, mental and emotional. My framework focuses on 4 Buckets: Eat, Sleep, Move and Think. This blog is my sandbox for sharing information that you might find useful for your personal performance.
This blog isn’t exactly about longevity and it’s not exactly about picking up a new sport when most of your peers are picking up a new walker or wheelchair but it’s not exactly NOT about these things either.
More than either of those 2 things, it’s about Julia Hawkins, a lady I had never heard of until last night when a good friend forwarded me an article about her passing; and what I learned about the indomitable spirit in some of us and, more personally, how just knowing that there are people out there like Mrs. Hawkins motivates me to be a better human being.
Julia left this world in October at the rip, old age of 108, her last world record came in 2021 at 105 in the 100m dash. The USA Track and Field Masters organization had to create a new 105-plus age group for Ms. Hawkins in 2021 when she set her last world record. She started competing in running at the age of 100, Julia started cycling (a sport she also set world records in) at 75.
She credited her longevity and world records to:
- Starting her day with a 3-minute ice bath
- Red light therapy
- Grounding
- David Goggins
- BPC-157
Ok, just kidding, her actual secrets to long life are the basics (1-2) and the extremes for some of us (3-5)!
- Stay Active
- Eat well, sleep well
- Try new things
- Find the magic moments in life
- Marry the right partner
“Find the magic moments in life” (no. 4) is intriguing to say the least; who has time for that in our over connected, turned on, tuned in world?
Here’s a quote from Julia’s 2019 article in Guidepost, when she was only 103 years old:
“It’s [when] you see something or feel something or hear something that affects you very much,” Hawkins explains, citing a compliment from a friend or hearing a beautiful piece of music as two recent personal examples. “Magic moments are still big in my life. There are lots of wonderful things out there and people need to be aware and search them out. They’re there to see.”
How beautiful is that?
For those, like me, who have shiny object syndrome and already forgot why they are reading about Ms. Hawkins here’s the CTA:
- Be in awe of humans and what they can do
- Be inspired to try new things and find the magic moments
- Be a better human being
Who do you know that could use this information? I bet you can think of a couple of people before you click the next email, please share the post with your team and anyone who might find it useful and let me know what you think!
Have a good one,
Alex
PS. CHECK OUT my most recent podcast with Athan S. on Doing The Work Pod
PPS. If you’re new to First Principles Performance Coaching, here’s a one stop shop for all my stuff.
PPPS. Ready to perform at a whole new level? Email me so I can introduce you to my new BBP Coaching opportunities! alex@fpp.llc
