Life
105-year-old Granny sets record for hundred meter dash
Julia "Hurricane" Hawkins longs for the day when she can see her love again. Until then she's going to run.
D.G. Sciortino
11.18.21

Julia Hawkins is a centenarian. In fact, she’s a centenarian+. Even though she’s up there in years, though, she never lets it slow her down.

The 105-year-old go-getter just set the record for the 100-meter dash in her age group. The world record.

Even though she’s the oldest person to ever accomplish this, she says it’s really not that big of a deal.

“I had too many other wonderful things before this. This is just a drop in the bucket,” the 105-year-old told CBS Mornings.

That’s because her win doesn’t come close to the joy she feels having been married to her husband Murray for 70 years.

And oh, how she misses him.

Hawkins, who is from Baton Rouge, Louisiana and also goes by the name “Hurricane,” ran the 100-meters in 1:02:95 at the Louisiana Senior Games with family and friends cheering her on.

And she did it with a flower in her hair.

Hawkins wasn’t thrilled with her time.

According to the National Senior Games, After her run Hawkins said:

“It was wonderful to see so many family members and friends, but I wanted to do it in less than a minute.”

Not one to despair, Hawkins simply looks to the future for the opportunity to beat her own record.

“I love to run, and I love being an inspiration to others,” she says.

Besides, it wasn’t her first time.

“I’m thrilled I did as well as I did but I didn’t do as well as I have done,” Hawkins, who has four children, told Good Morning America. “I don’t know if it’s because I’m older, or maybe it was the atmosphere.”

Hawkins, who worked as a schoolteacher, was in the press when she was 101 for winning the 100-meter dash in 40.12 seconds at the USA Track and Field Outdoors Masters Championships.

She also won two gold medals.

One in the 50 and one in the 100-meter dashes at the 2019 Senior Games in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

“I want to keep running as long as I can,” Hawkins said. “My message to others is that you have to stay active if you want to be healthy and happy as you age.”

Hawkins hopes to compete in the May 2022 National Senior Games in Florida.

It’s all about movement.

“Realize you can still be doing it at this kind of an age,” she said. “I just keep busy. I keep moving. I don’t do any exercises particularly. I used to, but I don’t think I need to anymore.”

It just depends on how she’s feeling.

“[At 106], maybe so. Who knows? I’ll have to see how I feel in the morning,” Hawkins said, according to Fox News.

Hawkins jogs about a mile a day.

It helps to keep her mind off of the fact that she has an empty home now that Murray has passed.

“I couldn’t imagine being this old,” she said. “Without him, it’s not the same. It’s not quite as wonderful.”

She also likes to run and garden.

She doesn’t run for a goal.

What more does one need to achieve than being in love?

“I don’t have a dream. I just want to go to sleep and let it end. That’s what my husband did. We were sleeping together, and he sang love songs to me that night — wonderful songs,” Hawkins said.

Until the day comes where she can meet her love again, she’s going to run.

See why they call her “Hurricane” below!

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