'I was proud of what I did. But I was glad it was all over too.'
But as the sun beat down on a 28 C day in the nation's capital, the 96-year-old took a deep breath and burst forward."It felt very good," Fairhead said, in an interview the day after her big accomplishment. "I was proud of what I did. But I was glad it was all over too."
Unlike Lindberg, who has racked up the records as a master's athlete in multiple distances, Fairhead did not before, nor does she really now, see herself as an athlete.Fairhead said for her first 95 years of life the most athletic pursuits she had involved bowling and horse shoes. But a little more than a year ago, a friend at the Perley Rideau Seniors' Village asked if she wanted to try the 5K race in Ottawa's annual marathon weekend.
By the time she hit one kilometre, she knew she had the record in the bag. She was going so fast Weeks even told her she could slow down. It was incredibly hot. She kept hydrated with a sports drink, and at one point grabbed a cup of water from a volunteer and tossed it down her back. Her son kept watch on the road around her, warning her of pot holes or debris so she didn't trip.
Born in 1926 in Saskatchewan, she moved to Ottawa in her early 20s and has lived there ever since. Her husband was in the military. She worked for the federal government in Saskatchewan before moving and stayed home to raise their kids after they were born. Fairhead said despite the heat it didn't take her long to recover from the race. About half an hour after she crossed the finish line she said she felt fine again.
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