Sub-equator, track season beckons. And some Oceania papers feature a pair of “gritty grannies” and their budding masters careers. A Northern Territory paper tells us about Queenslander Jean Ritter, 82, and how her comeback was delayed a couple years. She pulled a calf muscle in her first sprint race. In Auckland, New Zealand, 91-year-old thrower Dulcie Howells is profiled and pictured with her beaten-up discus in this delightful story. Somebody better weigh that sucker. Bet it’s light.

Here’s the discus thrower’s story:

By NEIL DUDDY – Eastern Courier | Wednesday, 01 October 2008
Still a champ at 91
Age is no barrier to living an active life says 91-year-old discus thrower Dulcie Howells.
The Howick resident still enjoys the sport and is due to take part in the North Island Masters Athletics Championships next month.
The sprightly grandmother currently holds the world’s fourth best distance record for competitors in her age group and shows no sign of slowing down.
She achieved a throw of 10 metres and 44cm at Mt Smart Stadium in March.
“I’ll keep going as long as I can because it’s healthy and I enjoy it.”
She has been interested in sport from her school days and was involved in gymnastics, tennis, cricket and outdoor basketball.
“But discus was my favourite so that was what I concentrated on.”
Mrs Howells says the flowing movement of the action involved in throwing discus is what appeals to her about the sport.
“Nowadays we hear about how people need to be more active for health reasons.
“But in my day it was just what you did. We played sport for recreation after work.”
She says competing in discus has kept her healthy and active both physically and mentally.
Mrs Howells was New Zealand champion for three consecutive years between 1939-1941 and set a new national record in the final year.
She remains independent and self-sufficient, still lives in the same Howick street she has been resident in for 62 years and still drives and delivers Meals on Wheels to local residents, something she has been doing for 50 years.
“I’ve had an interesting, colourful and healthy life and being part of the athletics social scene has played a strong part in that,” Mrs Howells says.
“I would say to young people that it’s important to get involved in something.
“We can’t all be champions but we can all compete and meet good people, which is the best thing about participating.”
The masters games at Mt Smart Stadium from November 28-30 will be the biggest event of its kind in Auckland for seven years and features two world champions in Margaret Peters, who has dominated the women’s sprints 70-75 age group, and Ron Robertson ,who set a new mark only recently in the mens 65-70 2000m steeplecase.
A full track and field programme is available for athletes over 30 wishing to take part.
For information go to www.ama.org.nz.

Here’s the profile of Jean Ritter:

Masters champ wins five gold

ANDREW ALOIA
October 16th, 2008
IT has taken two to get on song, but Queenslander Jean Ritter has proven herself to be the consummate golden girl of the Alice Springs Masters Games.
Ritter, 82, made a stuttered start to her masters athletics career when she came out of 60 years of sporting retirement at the 2006 Games.
Within 10m of her debut 100m sprint the Deception Bay wonder tore her calf muscle.
Not to be deterred Ritter continued, earning silver and what would mark the beginning of one of the success stories of 2008.
“I never thought of giving up,” Ritter grinned. “It was an ignominious way to start and finish.”
So Ritter cut her losses, left her niece Heather Olm to collect the silverware, and played the tourist instead. While her sporting comeback only lasted a precious few moments it was as if Ritter the sports “‘maniac” had been born.
Last year she broke through to earn silver and two gold metals at the Aussie Masters in Adelaide.
Another 12 months of training and this gritty granny was unbeatable, taking away five gold – 100m, 200, 400m, 1500m, 5km walk – in three days.
It may have taken 20 years for daughter Shelly Farlow to convince Ritter to get involved in senior athletics but now it is her who is keeping the youngsters active.
Farlow tagged along to compete in walking events while niece Heather went off to fine tune her weird but surprisingly effective athletics form.
Her Javelin, or as Ritter calls it Jazz-elin, attempt earned her a personal best distance and cemented her a gold medal in the pentathlon.
“Its all the dance moves coming out,” Olm said.