Kay Glynn W52 IA Athlete of the Year

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52-year-old Glynn wins Athlete of the Year
NICOLE WEIS, Staff Writer
09/25/2005

Kay Glynn received the Marty McHone Athlete of the Year award after winning five gold medals in track and field at the 2005 Iowa Games. The award is in honor of Marty McHone, who lost her battle with cancer in the summer of 2002.

Fifty-two-year-old Kay Glynn was standing on a track in South Dakota getting ready to pole vault when The Daily Nonpareil called to interview her about winning the 2005 Iowa Games Marty McHone Athlete of the Year award.

The die-hard track and field athlete from Hastings was an hour and a half early for the event and no one had showed up yet.

The mother of three received the athlete of the year award after wining five gold medals at this year's Iowa Games. She won the 100- and 200-meter dashes, the 100-meter hurdles and both the long and high jump. Not bad for someone who has only been participating in the Iowa Games track events for five years after a 30-year absence.

Kay ran track in high school and managed to stay in shape as a dance and gymnastics instructor. However, she recalls the first time she participated in an event since her high school days.

"My gymnastics background helps me a lot because it's pretty taxing on your body, but I remember the first year, I got sore. I couldn't bend down and pick anything up off the floor. Then I started working out more, and I thought, it's not so bad when you're not sore."

Talk about a workout. Kay said she works out seven days a week and rarely plans a day off.

"I work out about two hours a day. I do a lot of stretching and work on the technique part," she said. " I usually run every day and pick out two events to work on."

Kay does field events as well as running events. The 100- and 200-meter dashes, along with the long jump are her strongest events. She just learned to pole vault two years ago.

"I suppose pole vault is the thing I'm concentrating on now. The facilities are few and far between, but I just picked it up by learning from others. I'm not one to be afraid to do things."

Kay has had to make some changes to her schedule since she decided to pursue her track and field dreams.

"Sleeping is my biggest problem; that's a big waste of time," she said. "My day is a race with the clock."

Kay enters national meets in the wintertime, and smaller college meets two or three times a month during the summer. She plans to compete in a decathlon in Illinois very soon.

If you're wondering how she does it, you're not alone.

"Sometimes at this age, if you stay uninjured and healthy, you're ahead of the game. Flexibility is really important because it keeps you from getting injured."

Kay's children have been like cheerleaders to her.

"My daughter taught me that the hardest thing about working out is putting on your shoes. They're encouraging to me. They always take pictures and videos," said Kay, who has even competed with her daughter in the 200-meter dash once.

"She started out ahead of me, and she was thinking 'don't let my mom beat me' and I was thinking 'just catch her butt.' She ended up ahead of me."

Kay didn't have any hard feelings about the loss; she's more concerned with improving.

"It's always me working to better my time or distance. It's more me competing against me.

I don't even think about it; it's just fun."

Kay enjoys herself so much on the track that sometimes she forgets to pick up her medals at the Iowa Games. She has won three gold medals in the long jump and 100- and 200-meter dashes each year since she started. She still holds a state record in the 200-meter dash, with a time of 29.44 and also holds a record in the district of western Iowa for long jump, with a leap of 19 feet 2 inches.

The State Games of America, the Iowa Senior Olympics, the USB National Track and Field competition and the National Masters Indoor Heptathlon are all events Kay has competed in. And she doesn't plan on slowing down anytime soon.

"As long as it's fun and it doesn't hurt, I'm gonna keep doing it," she said. "I just hope that this encourages other people to get involved that are older and know that they can still start in at age 48 and go back to being active."