Active at any age

If you can dream it, you can achieve it – age is nothing!

Could you imagine running half a marathon? What if we told you that Aunty Pam ran her first half marathon at 61 years old? Are you shocked? Perhaps inspired? Are you already thinking about what this means for you and your own goals?

Aunty Pam is a proud Yorta Yorta Elder who immediately warms your heart over a yarn and cup of tea. At the age of 77 she often shares her stories of conquering many fitness goals. Her achievements have continued to inspire many people to realise they can reach their goals at any age.

Aunty Pam is currently training four to five days a week. Her alarm is set for five o’clock in the morning allowing her two hours to complete her warm-up, run and stretches. Aunty Pam says that being able to run on Yorta Yorta Country in Shepparton has kept her inspired and motivated to get out of bed every morning.

When asking Aunty Pam about her greatest achievements, she is excited to be able to share how she started entering triathlons at the age of 58 and running her first half marathon (21.1km) at age 61. If you have completed any kind of long-distance running, you will be familiar with how important it is to run with your head more than your legs.

Aunty Pam says that during every single run, once she hits the 12km mark her feet start burning. The pain can sometimes become unbearable. But what keeps Aunty Pam going is the desire to be healthy as an Aboriginal woman.

Even after battling breast cancer, Aunty Pam kept strong in her spirit and mind and completed another half marathon after finishing her treatment.

Aunty Pam’s achievements are a testament to her incredible journey as a strong Aboriginal woman. She feels so lucky to be healthy and still able to look after herself. Only now, is Aunty Pam considering her age being more than just a number. But this isn’t any indication of her hanging up the running shoes anytime soon. Instead, it’s made Aunty Pam want to go harder. She wishes there were more Aboriginal people her age to share her love for running with. However, by sharing her story she hopes to inspire other people of all ages and walks of life to dream big and not hold back. Her motto is “if you can dream it, you can achieve it – age is nothing!”.