It has been a medal-winning summer for an Antigonish County couple.
Mac and Mary Lew Murray of Pomquet Point Road raced to the podium – on multiple occasions – during the Canada 55+ Games in St. John last month.
“It was an amazing experience,” Mary Lew said, describing the Games as a “pretty neat concept.”
She garnered gold in both the 100 and 200m sprints, while tallying silver in the 50m classification.
Mac raced to silver in the 200m and bronze in the 100m, while placing fourth in the 400m.
“It is easier in some ways,” he said of the couple’s decision to focus on sprint distances.
The couple earned spots on Team Nova Scotia with their performances in the 2017 provincial competition in Lunenburg County.
“It is about continuing to stay active, and we love it,” Mac said of their time on the track.
Since securing those positions, they have put on a lot of mileage, including sprints on their rural road and the long driveway that leads to their Fairwind Farm property.
During the winter months, their horse arena served as a training venue.
When they needed to measure the distance they were covering, the Columbus Field track in Antigonish came in handy.
“It was so competitive,” Mary Lew said of the 70-to-74 age group in which they participated.
“‘He’s not 70,’” Mac said, as they both laughed, reflecting on the many high-calibre athletes they encountered.
Both athletes not only won medals, but also improved their times at nationals that, Mac noted, indicated the importance of training and technique.
“It means you don’t necessarily slow down as you age,” he said.
They described the “inspirational” atmosphere they experienced, noting how athletes battled injuries but “kept going.”
The couple noted the Games, which took place on the University of New Brunswick campus, were “so well run.”
“We met tremendous people from all over Canada,” Mary Lew said.
They said their experience would not have been possible without the support of family and friends, who made sure their five horses, chickens, cats and dog were being taken care of back on the farm.
“It is a great goal – it is always good to have goals,” Mary Lew said, when asked about what’s next for the husband-wife athletic tandem.
They will now train for the 2019 provincial 55+ Games, which will take place in Antigonish.
“We are looking forward to competing at home,” Mac said, noting they hope to find more master-level events to race in to help in their effort.
They are focused on securing Team Nova Scotia invites for the next national Games, which are slated for 2020 in Kamloops, B.C.
