By james art BATON ROUGE — Julia “Hurricane” Hawkins, a local sprinter who was the oldest woman to compete in the Senior National Games, died Tuesday night in Baton Rouge at age 108, family told WBRZ.
Hawkins passed peacefully in St. James’s Place. Her daughter, Jugi Battle, says Hawkins was busy until the end. She had a visitor at 7:30pm on Tuesday and passed away around 8:00pm
“She said she was ready to go and then she just went,” Battle said. “We were really lucky that she didn’t suffer.
Hawkins started running when she was 100. Her son saw someone run 100 yards for his 100th birthday and encouraged his mother to do the same.
“We went out with a time trial and she did it too, a star was born, she had a whole new career,” Battle said.
Battle says her mother always knew she could run and jokes that Hawkins used to say, “I knew I could run because I ran when the phone rang.”
“See lots of sunrises, sunsets, rainbows, beautiful birds, beautiful music, things people say to you that make you feel good, all these wonderful magical moments,” Hawkins said, telling WBRZ his tips for living life to the fullest in a previous interview before her death.
In the past, Hawkins has always talked about how grateful she is to be able to be active in her old age, hoping she can inspire others to do the same.
“I hope that I inspire them to be healthy and realize that you can still do this at this age,” Hawkins said. “I’ve been here longer than I thought I would be.”
Hawkins has always been active, riding her bike or working outside. She competed in cycling for a long time, but stopped when she became the oldest at any race.
In 2017, aged 101, Hawkins earned her nickname by being the oldest woman to compete in the 50m and 100m dash events at the Senior National Games. She broke those records two years later. Both years she ran faster than the winners in the 94-99 age groups.
An LSU graduate, Hawkins was both the first woman and the first American to set the 105-plus age group record, WBRZ reported in 2021. Hawkins also won two gold medals in the next three National Senior Olympics.
Figures from Louisiana and Baton Rouge reacted to the senior Olympian’s death.
“Her life and achievements highlighted the importance of health, active living and resilience, especially for the elderly in our community. Her legacy encourages Baton Rouge residents to prioritize physical health and demonstrates that age is no barrier to pursuing new challenges,” said Mayor-President Sharon West Broome. “Julia’s story will continue to inspire our city to embrace vitality and determination in all stages of life.”
Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser shared his own experience with Hawkins and celebrated her legacy.
“Julia was a true inspiration, taking up running after her 100th birthday and setting world records in her age group. Her spirit and determination to stay active and engaged in life touched so many people. We will keep her and her family in our prayers during this difficult time,” Nungesser said in a Facebook post honoring the late Olympian. “Thank you, Julia, for showing us all that age is just a number!”