BOSTON (WHDH) - At 91-years-young, Diane Hoffman is not your average sprinter.
During the U.S.A. Track and Field Championships at the College of Holy Cross in Worcester last weekend, Hoffman ran the fastest time ever in the 400 meter dash for her age group. crossing the finish line at 2:44:25.
“Of course I was thrilled because I wanted to do it for my kids. They were all there,” Hoffman explained. “I can’t believe it. It was a miracle.”
This is not the first time Hoffman has set the standard on the track, she broke the U.S. record for the 100 meter dash as well.
She credits the idea to her son who suggested she take up running while out for a stroll with her grandchild.
“I just walked faster than they did, or ahead of them. So they decided I should run a race,” she said.
Hoffman says she considers herself more of a tennis player than a runner and had the opportunity to meet tennis great John McEnroe.
Though she did not pick up a racket until she was 42, she has won several trophies and says she plays all the time.
“If I couldn’t play tennis, that would unnerve me,” she said. “I am not a runner. No, not a bit.”
Hoffman said her secret to her success is a simple one, just keep moving.
“I don’t care if you’re gardening, you’re vacuuming, you’re cooking, you’re swimming or biking, you’ve got to move. You’ve got to do something physical.”
Despite this, she says she is still in shock she is at the top of the record books.
“I can’t get over that. I really can’t,” she said. “I mean, somebody up there maybe is looking out for me or whatever.”
Hoffman will celebrate her 92nd birthday Wednesday and says she will wait until next year to decide if she wants to go for the record again.
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