Overcoming life's adversities.

My story is about avoiding the adversities of life through excesses and my decades of adopting a good and healthy lifestyle to achieve this.

At almost 92 years of age, my adversity is the threat the of many health problems that come with the inevitable ageing process. To combat this and continue to have a good quality of life has meant keeping fit and 'everything in moderation' attitude with food and alcohol.

Exercise and good nutrition is all that wellness encompasses in the body, mind and spirit, plus a feeling of well being that has been the key to my good health. I believe that we should all live well, move more, eat sensibly, stress less, breathe and work well. This comes with some commitment and determination to achieve the priceless benefits, which at 91 years I feel I can write now with some authority.

Together with my husband we believed in a healthy and active lifestyle, however it wasn't until his last words to me 'Now is the time to show your mettle' just before he died of Cancer - words which have motivated me to honour. That was over 20 years ago.

Always a good walker, I found this was good therapy to overcome my loss and after downsizing my home I joined a local walking group. This led to my first City2Surf in 2001 and found that I enjoyed the huge adrenaline rush when reaching the finish line and definitely wanted more. The opportunity came in the 2004 Sydney Running Festival Bridge Run, surprisingly being placed first in the 70/99 age group contestants. Since then I've competed nine more times with two 1st places, 6 2nd places, 1 fourth place and 1 fifth place overall. To this I added the 12km Mt. Annan Challenge Walk, mostly winning in my age group, Fisher's Ghost, the Sutherland2Surf and the Mother's Day Classic, again always in the top placings. Along the way it has been interesting to find that I'm inspiring much younger competitors, some of whom I have passed en route to the finish line and becoming a sort of role model.

By now it was 2011 and I was 84 years old running out of competitors and realising that I wanted to know just how good I was against my peers, if any!! It was my physiotherapist who suggested that I register in the October Adelaide Masters Games. I followed his advice and I've never looked back, registering in the four 'Walks' events but not knowing that I would be race walking with all the required rules and walking technique that could incur infringements or even disqualification. Fortunately, the race starter reminded all starters of the rules and gave us a demonstration of the required walking style which was found easy to adopt. I came home with four gold medals and a love of the sport. Also with no infringements.

In five weeks I would celebrate my 85th Birthday and enter a new age group 85/89 with new record times to break.

This prompted me to challenge myself to break the existing Australian and World Records in 2012 and this I achieved breaking All Australian Records plus two World Records by the end of the year, finally again breaking my 10km walk Australian Record in 2013, reducing the original time by 12 minutes.

Between 2013 and 2016 I competed regularly, always with good times and a good age-graded performance percentage. By now I was approaching my 90th year but still with the same amount of zeal, fitness level and passion for the sport.

After competing in Tasmania at the end of 2017 and Perth in 2018, I now hold all three 90/99 age group Australian Records and three World Records in the 3km, 5km and 10km 'walks' and ranked No.1 in the world in my age group. Incidentally, the 1,500m walk is not a recognised world record distance but my time of 12.09.10 is the world's fastest.

All of this does not come without recognition and I've received numerous awards from both the NSW Masters Athletics and Athletics NSW over the past few years, also Hawkesbury Senior Sportsperson 2018. The Australian Masters Athletics Walks Award for 2012 and the Order of Australian Medal for my services to my community for my participation the Relay for Life, and Masters Games Athletics are the two most prized.

I still follow my 'Use it or lose it' creed also physical wellness which is developing personal responsibility for my healthcare and appreciating the balance between sound nutrition and how my body performs. This has allowed me to keep my independence, which is so invaluable.

Finally, a week after this year's Bridge Run I will a participant in my 15th Relay for Life 24 hour walkathon raising money for much needed funds for Cancer Research.

Hoping to do well again in the Bridge Run and enjoying every step of the way.

Signed Heather Lee.