Age is just a number
PAPUA NEW GUINEA’S first and only Masters athlete Rachel Laing is not letting age get in the way of pursuing her dreams.
The 62-year-old sprinter is preparing for the World Masters Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden later this year and believes that age shouldn’t hold you back.
“Age is just a number; it is about one’s dream and decision to live a life without limits,” she said.
“Dreams are free. We are all allowed to dream big and remind ourselves that we are capable of doing anything if we set our minds to it.”
Athletics had long been Laing’s childhood dream, but she only entered the sprinting arena at the age of 57 in 2019.
Due to COVID restrictions at the time, she couldn’t participate in bigger events until 2020, when she made her debut at the Port Moresby Athletics competition.
She clocked 15.25 seconds in the 100m sprints in the Open Women’s Division, which saw her running against elite athletes like Adrine Monagi, Edna Boafob and others. She also ran in the 200m against the Pacific sprint queen, Toea Wisil.
She then signed on to the Nest Athletics Club to train under Nelson Stone, widely regarded as Papua New Guinea’s sprint king.
Laing’s sheer and unwavering determination in taking up athletics despite her age got her through a tough start in the sport.
“At the beginning of joining my club Nest Athletics in October 2020, the first couple of training sessions were not easy considering my age and the new code I was training in,” she said.
“I was bruised all over my legs and ligaments. I would go home after training, ice my bruises and turn up the next day training in pain.”
Athletics aside, she’s not a newcomer to Papua New Guinea’s sporting fraternity.
She participated in other sports such as soccer and touch football in the 1980s and 1990s before taking up athletics later in life to keep fit.
“With team sports (rugby, soccer), it was hard to find masters players and that inspired me to go solo and take up athletics so I could still enjoy sports plus stay fit and healthy,” Laing said.
Running towards the World Masters
Laing has competed in three international events since she started her sprint journey.
At the Pan Pacific Masters Games on the Gold Coast, she managed to grab two silvers in the 60 and 100-metre sprints in 2022 despite going into the games with a knee injury.
“It was the toughest experience ever as I was caught up between whether to continue pursuing my goals or to listen to my old body. I was heavily reliant on my mental strength and painkillers to compete,” she said
Last year, she competed at the Oceania Masters Athletics Championships in the Northern Marianas, where she swept the major sprint categories in 100 metres, 200 metres and 400 metres, snatching gold in all three.
She then went on to impress at the Asia Pacific Masters Championships in South Korea, taking three silver medals.
“Her performance is really at a level where at her category and at her age, she is running really fast. She impressed the PNG Athletics President with her performance during her golden run in the Northern Marianas,” coach Stone said.
Now the duo are preparing for the World Masters Championships in August this year, where Ms Laing is set to be running in the 65-year-old category.
“We really need support as this could be one the biggest achievements for the country that I am currently tipping given her performances thus far,” said Stone.
A total of 100 nations with 7,000 athletes will take part in the event, with everyone 35 years and older welcome. Motivation and inspiration Stone said Laing has a rare character, defined by commitment and dedication through her actions.
“She has the kind of character that only a few have,” he said.
“She is very committed and disciplined off the track with her work life, family life and how she juggles putting the time towards these areas of her life.
“It’s amazing to witness a lady at this age putting in this effort and maintaining discipline throughout since she first joined the club.”
The sprinter aspires to keep herself healthy and fit as much as she can while enjoying playing the sport of her dreams.