Washington sprinter wins gold medal at National Senior Games
‘Fast Fashionista’ hopes to inspire others through online community sponsored by DSHS
Contact: Jessica Nelson, DSHS Office of Communications
Jessica.Nelson1@dshs.wa.gov or (360) 902–8338
TACOMA — Sprinter Madonna Hanna put in a stellar performance at this year’s National Senior Games, winning a gold medal in the 4x100m relay, along with earning fifth place in the 50m and 100m races in the 70–74 age division. Hanna was one of more than 11,500 senior athletes who competed in the games in Pittsburg earlier this month. For this year’s games, Hanna was sponsored by GetSetUp, which in partnership with the Department of Social and Health Services, provides an online learning community for older adults in Washington.
Hanna started running in 2011, while she was teaching fashion marketing at Bremerton High School. “You can call me the Fast Fashionista,” she says. “I had absolutely no prior track and field experience…it wasn’t until the age of 57 that an overwhelming desire hit me to run 100 meters.” Her husband agreed to be her coach, working with her until he passed away from cancer in 2018. “His last request was, keep racing,” she says.
Now 70, she has been competing in the Washington State Senior Games since 2011, where she has won two silver and four gold medals. At the national level she’s won several medals, including a bronze in the 2013 4x100m relay, where she was a last-minute substitute. Her teammates gave her a crash-course in how the race worked just 15 minutes before the start. “When I started racing in 2011 my 50-meter time was 8.91. Then I severely ruptured my Achilles in 2014, came back 2017, and my time…my new personal best is 8.81,” Hanna says. “So, I’m getting older and faster.”
GetSetUp Athletes sponsored Hanna and 12 other senior athletes to inspire and support their peers, giving them a platform to promote their passion for sports and maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle. Hanna’s advice to others? “Don’t be afraid to embrace change. With change comes a new opportunity to learn, new experiences and you and you get to meet new people like I have. And also learn to live life agelessly because that’s liberating,” she says. “And if you don’t want to get up and race, think about what you can share, what talent, skills and abilities do you have that you can share with somebody else. Cooking, sewing — whatever your expertise was or even your wisdom.”
DSHS began its partnership with GetSetUp during the pandemic to encourage healthy habits and combat feelings of isolation in seniors and on occasion teach older adults how to use technology. Washington residents over age 60 get free access to classes on fitness, cooking, technology and more. GetSetUp is a peer-to-peer platform, featuring classes conducted in English, Spanish, Hindi and Mandarin taught by seniors for seniors. Some of the most popular classes in Washington include Low-Impact Aerobics, Tai Chi, Stress and Destress Yoga, Recycled Crafts and iPad basics.
Since May of 2021, nearly 68,000 users have participated in 144,000 classes. Aime Fink, Area Agency on Aging Unit Manager at DSHS, says she’s been impressed with how dedicated GetSetUp has been to make sure seniors can take advantage of the platform, going the extra mile to provide guidance for people who may have limited experience or knowledge of technology. “It’s one thing to connect people with the resources,” Fink says. “It’s another to get them to open the book.”
As for Madonna Hanna, she’s got a few months before she starts training again, this time for Washington’s Senior Games in July of 2024. She broke the Washington state record in the 50 and 100 meters at the national games, but for it count she must do it here at home. “Coach always says: whether we’re competing in Washington state or national we’re going for gold,” she says. “We go for gold.”
For more information about GetSetUp and the GetSetUp Athlete program, visit www.getsetup.io/washington. Learn more about Madonna Hanna’s inspiring story at GetSetUp’s blog: From Fashion Teacher to Track Star (getsetup.io)