Pushing through to meet her goal

Times Reporter

 

After learning last fall she had breast cancer, Hazel McClarty was more determined than ever to be a part of the Alberta 55+ Summer Games. She trained every chance she could, refusing to fully give in to her condition, and no one was more surprised than she when she won a gold medal.

“I actually felt when I finished the race that I had achieved my goal. Getting there was the first goal and finishing the race was the main goal,” said McClarty.

McClarty was originally annoyed when she found out she had cancer. She said in June of last year she had had a physical and was told she was fine. She has also always kept on top of mammograms, so to find out in the fall of last year that she had breast cancer was frightening but annoying.

The games took place in Fairview from July 21 to 24. McClarty is also a member of a study with the cancer board, called ‘I am Proactive.’ It required that she wear a pedometer during the time she was on chemotherapy and it recorded every step she took each day. 

“It was to encourage me to be more active and they want to surmise, I guess, that it would speed up the recovery time,” said McClarty.

She sent in the recordings from the three consecutive days at the beginning of the chemo, three towards the end and right after she finished her chemo. 

“The goal for me when I found out I had cancer last fall and knowing that this year was the year for the games again, the Senior Games which are now called 55 Plus, my goal was to enter the time-predicted walk, because it was something that I thought I might be strong enough to do once I had gone through my surgery and my chemotherapy. 

What it did was it gave me a goal, because I knew the games were in the third weekend of July, and it gave me a goal to work toward and get off my butt, or off the couch, or off my bed or whatever, no matter how I felt and get up and get active, and get back with my walking.”

McClarty has been a part of the games since 1999. Her first year attending the games, she was an observer because she had just become the director for zone 4. She lived in Camrose at the time. After walking around with a camera taking video of all the events she decided it was something she had to try. Every year since she has entered competed in the Senior Games in some form, whether it’s been for creative writing or athletics.  

“I think I’ve actually won (creative writing) every year that I entered since then except one and that was one I thought I would win a medal for, for sure and I didn’t win anything. I was shocked,” laughed McClarty.

She has also won an award for her writing again this year, though it won’t be given out until a later date. 

For the time-predicted walk participants give the time they expect to do the walk in. Anything over and under the time given is added together for the two days and the people who have the least over and under win the medals.  

“The time-predicted walk is one kilometre and you walk at whatever speed you want and that’s why I choose it, because I thought if I’m not very strong I’ll put a long time in,” said McClarty.

“It requires a lot of practice to get to the exact time, or as close as you can get on a regular basis.” 

McClarty had surgery in March and said everything has gone marvelously since. She said it’s over and done with, and now she is on the five-year follow up.