When she first resumed sprinting after a decades-long hiatus, Regina's Kelly Silcox says revisiting her favourite high school sport carried few expectations.
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥�(Sprinting) was always my sport in high school,鈥� says the 52-year-old former Carlyle resident. 鈥淏ut after university, rowing became my main competitive sport. I rowed for 17 years and I really enjoyed it. I was a good rower, but not an exceptional rower.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 In high school, Silcox played volleyball, curled and competed in track and field, even though she describes herself as 鈥渘ot really athletic in school. I just did what everybody did in high school.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淏ut I was a sprinter and I did the 100-, 200- and 400- metre sprints,鈥� she says. 鈥淲hen I went to university, I didn't do track anymore. I left it behind, but I always really missed it.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 As a member of a competitive rowing team in Regina, Silcox worked with a personal trainer who was also a track athlete at her alma mater, the University of Regina.
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淚 mentioned how I had run track and how much I missed it,鈥� she says. 鈥�(The trainer) set me up with a track workout and I trained during the summer of 2015. It was like coming home.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 Soon after, Silcox joined Regina's Excel Athletika Track and Field Club and started sprinting competitively.
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淚 did a few local meets in 2015,鈥� she says. 鈥淎nd in 2016, I did my first international meet -
聽the Americas Masters Games in Vancouver.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 Silcox made three trips to the podium during her first international competition - earning a silver medal for the 100-metre sprint and a bronze medal in the 200-metre sprint (both in the Women's 50 Categories) - in addition to receiving a silver medal for the 4X100 women's relay as part of a four-person team from Saskatchewan.聽
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥� I didn't really know what to expect,鈥� says Silcox, when asked about earning medals so soon after becoming a mature competitor in her chosen sport. 鈥淎nd I didn't really think about medalling. I was hoping to go in and earn some personal bests.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淥n the podium, you think: 'Okay, I can do this.' So (winning) pushes me to do this and gives me the motivation to see how far I can go.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淚t was an amazing experience,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t was my first international meet and there were competitors from North America, Central America and 麻豆视频 America - but not just from the Americas - there were Masters athletes (aged 35 years- old and up) from throughout the world.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淚t was held in Vancouver and it was the inaugural event for the Americas Masters Games, so the Olympic cauldron was lit at the opening ceremony and there was a real buzz; a lot of energy.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淵ou just kind of feed off that energy at a big competition like the Masters,鈥� says Silcox. 鈥淏ut with the Masters, there's also tons of friendships you make. Masters athletes keep coming back to compete and keep moving up in age categories, so those friendships are ongoing and we follow each other's progress.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淭here's competition, but there's a social aspect, too.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 Although she works full-time as a financial planner, Silcox also trains full-time.
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淚 train at the track three days a week and weight train twice a week,鈥� she says. 鈥淥n other days, I'll golf or walk or do some sort of physical activity. And we train outdoors as much as we can. Even in winter, we try to get outside and work around the weather.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 When asked what she would tell others considering a return to sport, she says: 鈥淛ust do it. Put one foot in front of the other and just do it. It wasn't easy for me and the workouts were gruelling - but the more I trained and the harder I worked, the easier it became and it's really fulfilling now.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淚n fact, I'm taking some coaching levels this year so I can coach PeeWees and Bantams as a way to give back when I retire,鈥� says Silcox.
听听听听听听听听听听听 However, Silcox isn't retiring yet.
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淭here's a 76-year-old lady I know who competes in the 100-metre, the 200-metre, the long jump, the triple jump and the high jump,鈥� she says. 鈥淪he's exceptional and that's what I want to be.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 Kelly Silcox will compete later this summer at the Canadian Masters Athletics Championships, August 3-5 in Vancouver and also at the World Masters Athletics Championships, Sept. 4-16 in Malaga, Spain.
