100-Year-Old Runner Sets World Record

Ida Keeling, 100, set a world record in her age group Saturday at the Penn Relays in the 100-meter dash.

Ida Keeling wasn’t always a champion runner.

Said Keeling: “I don’t want to let nobody drag me down”.

See the video of Keeling’s very inspirational and motivational race up above and her photo below.

As the footage shows she actually came in last in the race, better by 30 seconds my the eight place contestant Champ Goldie who was 99. “What makes me faster now is that everyone else slowed down”. Her husband died at age 42 and left her with four children to raise alone.

She even did a few push-ups after the race to celebrate her victory. “I just threw off all of the bad memories, the aggravation, the stress”, she recalled to the Times. So much so, in fact, that daughter Shelley had to remove one of Ida’s hearing aids so the centenarian wouldn’t be distracted by the riotous cheering of the 34,000 people in the stands.

There are many wonderful stories at the Penn Relays, but, this year, one woman is inspiring many.

Keeling’s new record for the masters mixed 100-meter dash was 1:17.33.

Ida Keeling is truly someone we should all aspire to be when we are 100 years old.