103岁老人夺冠引热议 103-year-old runner proves sky's the limit, not age

The video clip shows Julia Hawkins breaking(打破 dǎpò) records(纪录 jìlù) during the National Senior Games in Albuquerque, New Mexico. [Photo: China Plus]

A 103 year-old American runner who broke multiple records in a track and field competition(田径赛 tiánjìngsài) for senior citizens has become an instant star in Chinese social media.

Julia Hawkins won(获得 huòdé) gold(金牌 jīnpái) in both the 50 and 100 meter races during the National Senior Games in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Her feat has sparked a hot

discussion about exercising(锻炼 duànliàn) and inspired(激励 jīlì) many Chinese netizens.

The video clip of Julia Hawkins running the race posted on the page of the state-run People's Daily has received tens of thousands of likes on China's twitter-like Weibo.[Photo: China Plus]

Many Weibo users in China are impressed by the elderly sprinter.

"Awesome Grandma! I'm nothing compared to you. "

"I reckon this grandma knows health and longevity way much better than Donald Trump."

"She does have a dream and passion, really admirable."

"It's amazing! It's terrific to keep the strength and flexibility of muscles at 103 years old!"

"I can never find excuses for not exercising from now on."

As the only centenarian among competitors, Hawkins also set a new record in the history of U.S. track and field as the oldest woman to compete on a track in America.

Hawkins is no stranger to smashing records.

In 2017 she finished a 100 meter race with 40.12 seconds, slashing 6 sec off the time set by previous record holder of the game.

Hawkins once said in an interview that she was a cycling fanatic when she was young but seldom exercised as she got older. The transformation came when she turned 100 years old.

Hawkins said she found it would be more fun to run a 100-meter race at the age of 100-year-old.

She then started her running career with serious training.

Hawkins said she hoped to inspire others to live a healthy life at any age.

Hawkin's story also resonates with those who are concerned about China's aging society.

China's elderly population has been increasing rapidly and is estimated to hit around 400 million by the end of 2035,news agency Xinhua reports.

The physical and mental health of senior citizens of the country has been weighing on the mind of policymakers.

Some expect Hawkins' story to inspire the elderly in China to keep a positive mind and live with passion and hope.

重点词汇 Key Word:

激励 encourage; inspire

• Chénggōng néng jīlì rén gèngjiā nǔlì.
  成功能激励人更加努力。
  Success will inspire a person to further efforts.

• Tā kèkǔ gōngzuò de tàidù bùduàn jīlìzhe wǒmen měi gè rén.
  他刻苦工作的态度不断激励着我们每个人。
  His hard work is a constant inspiration to us all.