Missed Olympics - How my dream began Vol.1

  Missed Olympics- How My Dream Began

 

 

The Olympics.... Is it only a dream?

  When I was a young girl  having just moved to Colorado my mother tried her best to find low cost activities that all five children would enjoy doing together. 
 While reading The Denver Post she saw there was a competitive running race  on a Saturday morning, with a Race Walk  and a family fun run as well.  We went as a family.   We all enjoyed the event and surprisingly a few of us won the race in our age divisions. I was only 11 at the time. My parents spoke to the race coordinator,  Bob Carlson about upcoming events.  

 I remember at this, our first race, I saw a very tall beautiful blonde woman walking in a very peculiar way. She was fast... seamed to me, very fast.  I watched her as she warmed up for the race.  What was she doing with her feet?  How was she moving her arms?  I tried to study different elements of her walk.  The race began and I tried to mimic what she had been doing.  I finished the race.  I know I received a card, a warning of breaking form, but some how I finished the race and had won in my age division. 

Viisha Sedlak

 It turned out the lady I was watching was  Viisha Sedlak.  Viisha as I learned was a former fashion model turned athlete, who was ranked third in the world as an ultra-distance runner and had recently converted to Race Walking. She became the #1 world ranked masters female race walker and was  undefeated for eight years as she set 24 world records.  As well as other incredible accomplishments. What an inspiration.


 As a family we continued to participate in races. I won many of the races.  I had a great time.   When I would win I received medals, trophies and sometimes shoes from the supporting running stores.  Are you kidding me? 

Free shoes!  I still remember the first time I was able to go chose a new pair of NICE running shoes. Running shoes because the sport of race walking was still in its infant stage in the U.S.   But WOW, A brand new pair of shoes from a running store.  Not from Kmart.  I was hooked!