SOUTH PORTLAND – The annual National Masters Track and Field Championships were held in Lisle, Ill. Aug. 2-5, and South Portland’s Sue McCarthy came home a winner.
McCarthy, 49, was a member of the gold medal winning 4×100 meter relay for Mass Velocity (her club team) in her 45-49 age bracket. She had a full weekend of running and also came home with two silver medals to complement the gold. She placed second in the 100-meter and 200-meter runs (behind the world champion in that event), as well as fourth in the 400 meter.
Her performances this weekend were particularly satisfying for McCarthy in light of the difficult injuries she has had to overcome in the last year and a half. After winning the indoor 400-meter masters championship in Albuquerque (and placing second in the 60m and 200m) in March 2011, she suffered a bad ankle injury which eventually required surgery and forced her to miss the 2011 National Outdoor Championships as well as the 2011 World Masters Outdoor Championship, which was held in Sacramento.
After her surgery in October 2011, McCarthy worked hard to rehab her foot and was able to secure gold in the January 2012 Indoor New England Championships in the 60m and 200m. Working her come back too hard, she injured her leg and was not able to complete the indoor season, missing the Indoor Nationals in March 2012. McCarthy persevered with her training all spring. At the Outdoor New England Association Championships this July she ran for gold in the 100 meter and 200 meter.
Aug. 9-12, McCarthy competed for the USA in the World Masters Athletics 2012 North-Central American & Caribbean & Canadian Masters Track & Field Championships making the trip to Saint John, New Brunswick. McCarthy took home silver medal in the 200 meter W45-49 event, missing first place by 0.01 of a second. She was also part of the USA W45 4×100 meter relay and 4×400 meter relay, both taking home silver as well.
This year was a significant year for McCarthy at the age of 49 running at the top of her Master’s age group (45-49) competing mostly against younger women. McCarthy turns 50 next July and will be running in the Senior age group (50-54) at the next Outdoor Masters Nationals in Olathe, Kan.
As a single, working mother, McCarthy still managed to find time to train for the women’s 60, 100, 200, 400 meter dashes, consistently placing in the top three at local, regional, and national masters track and field meets, with her 13-year-old daughter often there to root her on.
McCarthy is always juggling single motherhood to her 13 year old daughter, full-time employment as a psychotherapist, and an extensive and heavy training schedule. Two to three times a week, McCarthy is on the track after work running intervals at the local high school track. During the winter months, McCarthy is up at 5 a.m. at the University of Southern Maine track in Gorham working out before her days starts at work 8. There are also weight training, power yoga, and distance training days. McCarthy trains by herself mostly.
McCarthy, a former college four-time All-American at SUNY Stony Brook, began Master’s track in the winter of 2009 at the age of 45, after about a 20-year break from competitive track and field. During those 20 years McCarthy participated in competitive bicycle time trial racing, road racing, and other outdoor recreational activities like hiking.
“I entered back into track and field through corporate track through my employment and found the MassVelocity open Master’s track club and I was home again,” she said. In addition to being a team member on the Mass Velocity team headquartered in Boston, McCarthy also competes for MaineHealth a local Corporate team.
“Why do I do it? It helps me stay healthy and strong in body and mind,” McCarthy said. “I want to be a good role model for my daughter as a woman, and I hope I can inspire her and other women to never give up on their health and endeavors in life that make them happy, make their life worth living.”
Sue McCarthy of South Portland recently won medals at the masters track and field championships in Saint John, N.B., above, and Lisle, Ill. Courtesy photo Send questions/comments to the editors.
