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Published on: 8/11/2001
Last Visited: 12/27/2002
Ruth Ashton Johnson
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Ruth Ashton Johnson •
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You won't find 68-year-old Ruth Johnson, 55BA, of Davenport, floating leisurely through her senior years.The former physical education teacher, coach, water safety instructor trainer, and current grandmother, recently became a gold medal-winning Olympian-at the Senior Olympics, that is.
At the 2001 Summer National Senior Games in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Johnson earned a gold medal swimming the 500m freestyle, a silver in the 200m freestyle, and bronze medals in the 100m freestyle and 50m butterfly.
"I was given new courage as I watched people 10 and 20 years my senior compete strongly.Many of these athletes had overcome cancer, accidents, and other traumatic life experiences, and had recovered their health and enthusiasm for living through athletic training and participation," recalls Johnson.
"Exercise has given me a strong, healthy body; strong, healthy children; wonderful family memories; and employment, recreation, and competitive opportunities."
There's much more to the games than winning, explains Johnson."The spirit of the Senior Games is difficult to capture in words.It's the smiles, the friendships formed and renewed again.It is the hugs for the winners and the losers, the hugs that say, 'It was so much fun to see you again,' and the ones that say, "Goodbye, be safe and strong until we see each other again.'"
Johnson and her husband, Ron, 64MA, have been active promoters of the Quad Cities Senior Olympics since 1990, serving together on the board and as the swimming events managers.The couple maintains an active lifestyle, enjoying tennis, canoeing, sailing, hiking, bicycling, skiing, fishing, and weight lifting, in addition to swimming."Exercise, in whatever form you choose, is fundamental to maintaining optimistic enjoyment of life," says Johnson."It's never too late to start."
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