If you can’t spin, you slide. If you can’t hurdle, you throw. Those are the lessons conveyed in a profile of W65 weight woman Mary Lou Platis of Wisconsin. “There are some events I just had to drop off over time,” she told her local paper. “When I was in my 50s, I was one of the few women around of that age who still ran the hurdles. Then I had knee surgery. My doctor told me that I should still be able do the hurdles after recovery, but when I set up hurdles inside the school [Platis taught at East Chicago Central at the time] and tried to do a test run, I realized then I had to give them up.” But she’s still deep in the game, and training for her 10th National Senior Games, in 2015. Anyone attend more?

Love the vintage T-shirt! The Athletics Congress is a trivia question now.

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SCHERERVILLE | When Mary Lou Platis throws the discus, she gets into a no-spin zone.

And that’s the problem.

“I can still throw it over 60 feet,” the Platis said, “but the woman who always beats me when we’re at the same meet can reach 90.

“She does the spin you see many discus throwers use. I just do the slide. I’ve tried to do the spin because I know that would increase my distance, but I always get vertigo when attempting one.”

At the Wisconsin Senior Olympics held during last August and early September in Milwaukee, Wis., the “slide” worked out just fine for the Schererville woman as she claimed golds in the discus as well as the shot put in the Women’s 65-69 division.

The efforts not only qualified Platis for the 2015 National Senior Games to take place next July in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, but also earned her her 26th and 27th Masters Track and Field All-American certificates.

Platis began competing in Masters and Seniors Track and Field in 1983 with her husband Jim Platis, and Jim’s brother Chris Platis. Together, the Platises amassed well over 200 All-American certificates.

Chris died of Lou Gehrig’s Disease in 2008. Jim, a sprinter, stopped competing due to an arthritic knee and sparse competition in the over-80 age group.

Mary Lou has remained active.

“But there are some events I just had to drop off over time,” she said. “When I was in my 50s, I was one of the few women around of that age who still ran the hurdles.

“Then I had knee surgery. My doctor told me that I should still be able do the hurdles after recovery, but when I set up hurdles inside the school [Platis taught at East Chicago Central at the time] and tried to do a test run, I realized then I had to give them up.”

Platis also threw the javelin.

“But there are not too many track meets that still have the event,” she said. “And with me throwing the discus and shot put, adding that overhand motion maybe now is asking a little too much for my arm.”

Nonetheless, if she ever took took up baseball like her husband and late brother-in-law — who both played at Indiana University and later formed the Sam and Henry semipro team that boasted several former and future major leaguers — she could have provided a durable arm for a pitching staff.

In all her years of throwing, Platis has avoided any major arm problems.

“I did have to have a cortisone shot once followed by some pool therapy,” she said. “Other than that, I’ve been fine.”

Next summer’s trip to Minnesota will be Platis’s 10th National Senior Games. At the 2005 Games held in Pittsburgh, Platis won a bronze medal in the discus. At the 2013 Senior Games in Cleveland (events are held every two years), Platis said she didn’t do as well.

“I think my problem was not competing in any events leading up to it,” she said. “Next March, I plan to do an indoor meet in Sterling (Ill.) and several outdoor meets during the summer before going to Minnesota.”