“Something about turning 50 makes you realize that now is the time to do all the things you’ve ever wanted to do because you don’t know how much time you have left,” she said. “No more putting things off. You have to go and do it.”
Now 62, Haefele is a retired accountant and who is dedicated to living healthfully and pursuing her fitness goals, which includeAs a back-of-the-pack runner, Haefele has gained an appreciation for the sport that goes beyond finishing times. And she wants to raise awareness for runners of all ages and body types. Here are five ways that the runner has found joy in racing.When Haefele signed up for her first 5K, she was intimidated.
“I was afraid that they were all going to turn their heads and say, ‘What is this fat old lady doing here?’ And it wasn’t like that at all,” Haefele said. “It was much more welcoming than I thought and much more diverse.”After enjoying her first 5K, Haefele took running a step further by competing in her first half marathon in 2012. In the same year, she also took part in her first seven-day kayak sojourn along the Schuylkill River.
Over the years, Haefele has made true friends in the running community who have contributed to her life in unexpected ways. For example, when she injured her knee in the middle of a 5K and was unable to continue running, a competitor she didn’t know helped her reach the finish line. “She gave up her own race to help me. That’s always stayed with me,” Haefele said.
“I’ve just made so many connections in the running world and they’re the kind of people that want to lift you up,” she said. “And I needed that. I searched for that my whole life and I finally found it in running.”After completing nearly 300 races, Haefele is now training for her first 50K this summer, the Eagle Up Ultra. By following the
Impressive you should be so very proud of yourself that’s a lot of races👏👏👏👏👏
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