Mary Kemps philosophy onrunningis simple.
Shes still getting used to it all.
Kemps foray into the competitive track circuit was nothing short of explosive.
Mary Kemp (right) with fellow 90-plus competitor Dottie Gray (left) at the 2017 National Senior Games in Birmingham, Alabama.
I heard people yelling at me’Go, Mary!
‘and when I got to the end, I kept yelling at everybody, asking: ‘Did I win?
Did I win?’
Mary Kemp, 96, and her son Glenn Kemp, 70, at the 2017 National Senior Games.
A man finally said to me, ‘Put a stop to it, you did win.’
It was a necessity and a way of life.
Glenn competes in mens senior basketball.
Mary Kemp (left) with fellow 90-plus athletes at the 2017 National Senior Games.
Her first race was a local dash in Florida in 2017, and she quickly became hooked.
Along with the accolades comes commentary on her impressive athletic feats.
Everywhere I go, I get wonderful compliments, whether I am racing or not, Kemp says.
Mary Kemp at the 2017 National Senior Games.
Its the first time in my life that Ive been famous.
Kemp stays grounded by paying the positive vibes forward.
When it comes toweight lifting, Kemps approach is: Lift more than a piece of paper.
Since joining the local gym, shes graduated from 1-pound weights to 3-pound weights.
Ive built up my biceps, says Kemp.
Even some men [at the gym] get scared when they see my biceps.
I tell them its OKI wont hurt them.
But its notallabout the brawn.
Kemps favorite classCardio Challengeinvolves aerobic exercises around the track.
Theres little time to drink water.
And then when I see a girl in her 30s, I want to put her in a crib.
Pre-race jitters dont seem to bother Kemp much.
This glass-half-full mentality translates well to competition.
I am using various vocabulary words that are nice to keep me going.
She also does her best to stay focused, a lesson she learned the hard way.
In a recent race, she missed the starting gun because she was talking.
All the people left and I was left behind, recalls Kemp.
