Athletics: Walker's years of competing recognised

Barbara White (75) has been made a life member of the Masters Games after 21 years of competing....
Barbara White (75) has been made a life member of the Masters Games after 21 years of competing. Photo by Peter McIntosh.

Barbara White walks away the world's problems five days a week and has no plans to slow down any time soon.

Good. The world needs her.

The cheery 75-year-old has been awarded life membership to the Masters Games after more than 20 years of competing.

It came as a complete shock to White, who entered her first event in 1994 and has not missed the Masters Games when it has been held in Dunedin ever since.

''I went in to have a chat to the staff to talk about registration and they said, `Oh Barbara White, we'd like to make you an honorary life member','' she said.

''I didn't really know what it meant. I went online a few days later to try to do my registration and it wouldn't accept it. The penny really dropped then - I thought they were just teasing me.''

You might have seen White at Ross Creek or walking around Logan Park.

Rain or shine, for at least two hours a day and five days a week, she is out pounding the pavement and the tracks around Dunedin and has a large bunch of Masters Games medals to show for it.

''I started off very small because I wasn't fit. But slowly I've realised that I can walk fast.''

At her peak, White could walk 5km in about 37 minutes and is hoping to cover the distance at next year's event in about 40min.

The Masters Games is held in Wanganui every other year and White has made the trip north to compete six times.

''I used to get fourth and fifth and it took me a long, long time to win a medal in Wanganui. But you don't just do it to win the medal, you do it to compete with yourself.

''Some older people say to me, 'Are you competing this time?'. And when you say 'yes' you can see their faces drop because they are in my age-group and think 'Oh well, we are not going to get a gold or a silver medal' which is really silly.

''The whole thing is to enjoy it.''

While White loves competing, she enjoys staying active more and walking affords her plenty of time to think.

''You can work out all the world's problems,'' she laughed.

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