“Cross-country taught me patience, adaptability, flexibility in training and calmness.”
How did you get started with cross-country?
I had reconstructive surgery on both feet at age 13 ( I am from New Zealand). One year later I joined the Otahuhu Athletic Club in a suburb of Auckland City. Track season was December-March. XC May-August ( NZ winter) and Road September-November.
My first XC race was 1-mile in Sub-Junior Girls over local farmland. I ran barefoot and won. Instead of climbing the farm fences, I crawled under them. I was very protective of my feet and wouldn’t jump. I won a manicure set!!
Second race?
Held at Cornwall Park in the middle of the city, an extinct volcano, very hilly and a functioning farm, so we ran through paddocks with cows and sheep who had “ right of way!” Rules in NZ allowed me to compete in Senior races, so my first season I raced in Junior and Senior.
Training?
About 30-40 miles a week. Club night was Wednesday and training nights Tuesday and Thursday. Races on Saturday and 8-mile run Sunday. I did not increase mileage until 18 and that was to 50 miles a week. I did not run 80 plus until age 25!
Best XC performance?
9th place at Worlds 1973 at age 17 years. No Junior races at that time.
Favorite venue?
Definitely Cornwall park. Stunningly beautiful and very true XC.
Best memories?
1975 World XC in Rabat Morocco. NZ men won team title and NZ women were second. Most talented team to ever leave NZ. Walker, Quax, Dixon, Ryan , Moller, Roe, Audain, Mathews.
Those were my amateur years, so the 5 Worlds XC I went to (73,75,77,79,81) gave me months of free travel to Europe before the age of 25! NZ Athletics didn’t have much money so we certainly didn’t travel easily. It taught us all patience, adaptability, flexibility in training calmness. That all helped when I turned pro and competed so often yearly, both in NZ and USA.
