Ruth Firth, 100-years-old, Wins Gold Medal at the World Masters Games in Sydney ~ Video

The World Masters Games were held at the Sydney’s Olympic Park’s ANZ Stadium yesterday, where golden girl Ruth Firth, who is 100 years old, won a gold medal.
Ruth Frith, 100, tossed a 9lb shot 14ft to win the gold medal.
Ruth was the only shot-put competitor who turned up for the event in the women aged 100-104 category, but a gold medal is still a gold medal!

Ruth Firth launching her winning throw at the World Masters Games

Ruth Firth, worlds oldest female athlete breaks record and wins gold medal

Ruth’s competitors were either too old to travel to the Sydney stadium or they didn’t have the strength to lift the weight.
Ruth was one of 28,292 competitors from 95 countries aged from 24 to 101 who were taking part in the world’s biggest multi-sport event.

Great grandmother Ruth said, “I only had to turn up to win the medal, but that wasn’t going to be good enough for me. I had to show everyone that I could still do it.”

When Ruth tossed the weight, loud cheers erupted from the crowd at the Olympic Athletic Centre stadium.
An official at the event told Ruth Frith, “This calls for a celebration drink.”
Ruth replied, “No thanks - I don’t drink and I don’t smoke. This modern way of celebrating isn’t for me.”

After refusing a celebration drink it was suggested that Ruth leads a very healthy life style, with lots of vegetables.
But Ruth dispelled this by saying, “Oh goodness no - I haven’t eaten vegetables since I was a kid. I don’t like the taste. Bread, meat, fine, but no vegetables, thank you.”

Ruth Frith may not eat vegetables but she trains hard. She walks everywhere, and also does bench presses five days a week with 80lb weights.

Ruth’s impressive performance with the shot put inspired Canadian Olga Kotelka, 90, who broke a nine-year-old world record in her age group.

Earl Free (navy shorts) competes in the 80-84 age group in the 100m
Olga Kotelka, 90, launches her throw at the shot put

Ruth Frith has been labeled one of the most inspirational athletes at the Games, which is an international multi-sport event that’s held every four years. The event is open to sports people of all ages and abilities. It runs until the 18th October.

The minimum age of competitors at the World Masters Games varies depending on the sport they are taking part in, but ranges from 25 to 35.
The first World Masters Games were held in Toronto in 1985.
When the World Masters Games were held in Melbourne in 2002, they attracted nearly 25,000 competitors, which is more than double the number who took part in the Sydney 2000 Olympics, and five times more than the number of competitors who participated in the 2006 Commonwealth Games held in Melbourne.

Santa Claus ran barefoot as he competed in the 100m in the 80-83 age group
A bandaged knee didn’t stop this competitor from running in the 100m in the 60-64 age group

When Ruth Firth was asked if she thinks she’ll be competing in the next World Masters in four years time, she said, “I’m just taking each day as it comes. Each year is just another year, but I don’t think “oh, I’m going to be 99 or I’m going to be 100.
“You just enjoy each day and let the years go by.”

Osmo Millridge, 77, also ran barefoot as he competed in the mens steeplechase in the 70+ age group

These people are truly amazing and inspiring.
I fully intended to exercise this morning when I got up, but I didn’t because I couldn’t be bothered.
After reading about Ruth Firth, Olga Kotelka, Osmo Millridge, Santa Claus (yes that is his name!) and all of the other competitors that competed in the World Masters Games I felt seriously lazy.
They are an inspiration and they prove that age and apathy are not excuses for not exercising.

Published on Zeitgeist

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