A 65-year-old retiree from Wuxi bagged a silver and two bronze medals at the 19th Asia Masters Athletics Championships in Singapore.
Li Xiuzhen, a national level-1 athlete has won nine golds at national sports events. The event in Singapore marked the third time for Li to compete at an international event, after running marathons in the US and Taipei.
Before she retires Li worked in a factory producing underwear, and has exercised every day for more than 30 years. Though she is aging, she still runs 70-100 kilometers every week.
"I run at least 20 laps every day along the standard racing track," Li told reporters. "I run along the 5.8-km winding mountain road in the Plum Garden every Wednesday and Saturday."
When preparing for marathons, she ran from Caozhang to the Lingshan Buddhist Scenic Spot several times a month. "A single trip is around 40 km," Li said.
All added together, Li runs about 4,200 km every year, equivalent to 16 laps around Taihu Lake. Li’s next goals are the national masters athletics championships in September and the Boston Marathon in October.
At this year’s Asia Masters Athletics Championships, the Chinese team topped the gold medal table bringing home 75 gold medals and ranking second on the total medal table with 160 medals.
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Li Xiuzhen, 65, winner of a silver medal and two bronze medals at the 19th Asia Masters Athletics Championships in Singapore. [Photo from wxrb.com] |
