By james art - Julia Hawkins, centenarian runner, dies at 108 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
- Hawkins started running after she turned 100 when her sons signed her up to run the 50m.
- Her secrets to longevity include staying active, eating well and finding the “magical moments” in life.
Julia Hawkins, a record-setting centenarian who took up the sport after turning 100, died Tuesday in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She was 108.
Hawkins started running after her sons signed her up to run the 50 meters during the 2016 Senior Olympics in Louisiana, according to her obituary in The New York Times. It was her first athletics competition and she finished the race in 19 seconds. She ended up placing first in her age group as she was the only competitor over 100 years old.
She continued to compete in events across the country over the next several years, even setting world records in the 100 meters several times, according to World Masters Athletics.
Here are her five tips for a long life.
1. Stay active
Hawkins credits his long life and good health to an active lifestyle.
“Life was adventurous and active,” Hawkins told Guideposts. “I was always doing something.”
During her youth, she tutored campers at a summer resort her parents ran, she said. She also spent a lot of time outdoors riding horses and playing golf.
Even before she started running, Hawkins was already competing in the Senior Olympics as a cyclist, she said. She decided to start running because she “thought it was fun.”
“It was just great to see these men and women trying, no matter how old they were, staying fit and going forward,” she said.
According to the CDC, adults need at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week.
But even a little exercise can go a long way: recent studies have found that even short bursts of physical activity — like an 11-minute dance break — can reduce the risk of early death.
“To stay in shape, just be active. Keep your weight down and exercise,” Hawkins told The New York Times in 2019.
Julia Hawkins took up running when she turned 100. National Senior Games Association/Brit Huckabay
2. Eat well, sleep well
In addition to regular exercise, Hawkins also takes care of herself by paying attention to her diet and lifestyle.
Her only guilty pleasures are iced coffee and hot tea, she told The Washington Post in 2021.
Both drinks have health benefits if consumed in moderation. Research shows that drinking coffee can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s and diabetes. Likewise, drinking two or more cups of black tea a day can prevent heart disease and stroke.
“I watch what I eat,” Hawkins said. “I sleep well. I don’t smoke or drink. I do all the right things.”
3. Try new things
Not being afraid to try new things helps her stay young, Hawkins said.
“I’m constantly trying new things, I don’t give up on invitations and the opportunity to meet new people,” she told Run Lovers in 2022.
After all, that’s what got her running.
“When I was 100 years old, I thought it was time to try running the 100 meters and I did. I’ve been in love with running ever since,” she said.
Indeed, having a positive outlook can help a lot: First study found that people with a positive attitude toward aging lived about seven and a half years longer than people with a less positive perception of aging.
4. Discover the “magic moments” in life
Aging well also means finding purpose through passions, Hawkins said.
“I believe that as you get older, you should have magical moments and passions, because older people should have something to look forward to, something to be ready for, something to look after,” Hawkins told Guideposts .
And even the little things in life should be appreciated.
“I really care about a lot of things. I care about flowers and birds, sunrises and sunsets. I have seen so many wonderful things in my life,” she said.
Longevity researchers—who met and studied more than 1,000 centenarians—found that most of these super-seniors never stopped being busy.
“Even if they don’t work 100, they find a way to fill their days, spending time in the community or with family, reading newspapers – a variety of different activities. Even when they are no longer in good physical condition, they still have a way of stimulating themselves mentally,” said Fabrizio Villatoro, a researcher at LongeviQuest, an organization that verifies the age of the world’s oldest people and shares their stories in a database, said previously on BI.
5. Marry the right partner
One of the most important relationships in her life was the one she shared with her late husband, Murray Hawkins.
She met him on her first day as a student at Louisiana State University, she told The Times.
“As soon as I saw it,” she said. “I knew this was the person I wanted to spend my life with.”
They spent seven decades together before he died in 2013.
“Marry a good man and your life will be wonderful, wonderful — that’s the name of the book I wrote,” Hawkins told the Times, referring to the title of her memoir, published in 2016.
An 85-year-old Harvard study found that people with strong personal connections were not only happier, but also lived longer.