After quitting sprinting at 19, Ottawa’s Wendy Alexis returned to the game at 50. Now 71, she’s considered one of Canada’s prime Masters sprinters and a multi-time age-group world report holder. This season, she has bold objectives: reclaim the 100m W70 report, ship at August’s World Masters Championships and line up within the open 100m at Canadian nationals.
An unreal resume
Alexis lengthy hovered close to age-group data, however since getting into the W70 division final 12 months, she’s been rewriting them. On the 2025 World Masters Indoor Championships, she broke the W70 200m world report twice in at some point (30.68, then 30.33) and anchored Canada’s W65 4x200m crew to a world report of two:07.42. In June, she took the W70 100m world report, clocking 14.44.
In January, Alexis broke Canadian masters legend Karla Del Grande‘s W70 60m world report–after which, a number of weeks later, lowered the mark once more, operating 9.07 seconds. On Wednesday, Athletics Canada awarded Alexis the Earl Charge Award for her 2025 performances.
Again on the observe
When Alexis talks in regards to the keys to success in Masters athletics, she quotes 97-year-old Ontario masters star Earl Charge: “Decelerate slower than everybody else.”
A sprinter rising up, Alexis stepped away at 19 attributable to accidents. Later in life, her son joined the Ottawa Lions–and informed her to affix the “previous folks.”
“I didn’t know there was masters observe, particularly in Ottawa,” Alexis informed Canadian Working. “In the event you had been operating at an older age, it was all the time 5K and up.” She started coaching once more at 50, and has been competing for the previous 21 years.
Prioritizing restoration
Accidents are a part of the sport, Alexis says, however with age, coaching takes a much bigger toll in your physique. “Like everyone else, we get injured, and we cope with it,” she stated. “The distinction is, I take loads longer to get again.” Coaching alongside athletes aged 17 to 25 has made that distinction clear: the place they could want six weeks to get well, she might take six months.
Physio and rehab have change into a precedence, somewhat than one thing Alexis solely turns to after damage. She units apart an additional hour every day for biking and stretching, and sees her physiotherapist each few weeks.
The structured strategy has additionally eased her psychological load. “Another person, who has a lot extra experience, is looking the pictures,” she stated. “I simply present the legs.” Regardless of being informed she was “performed,” Alexis stated the added give attention to restoration has given her an edge that she didn’t have earlier than.
She credit her physio, coaching companions and particularly her coach, Sean Burges, for serving to her get to the place she is and maintain her success.
Balancing coaching and life
Alexis’s schedule is demanding: entry to trace time in Ottawa is proscribed, and coaching typically features a seven-hour spherical journey to St. Lawrence College in Canton, N.Y. Between the observe, weight room, pool and bike, she trains round 20 hours per week. Outdoors of sport, she cares for her grandchildren and volunteers on the elementary college the place she taught for 20 years.
“If I had youthful children, there isn’t a approach I might’ve performed this,” she admitted. “I’m grateful now that I’m retired.”
Grasp’s atmosphere
Alexis describes masters athletics as an inclusive, encouraging neighborhood. Her fundamental “rival,” Del Grande, is a really shut good friend–her “observe sister.” Even at world championships, the ladies are extremely supportive and have a good time everybody.
Alexis lists three the explanation why she retains exhibiting up: for good well being, as a result of she will, and to encourage those that are watching to do it, too.
One of the vital significant moments of her profession got here on the 2014 nationwide championships in Toronto, when Del Grande introduced footage of their race to the hospital to indicate Alexis’s mother, who was ailing. “It actually speaks to the sisterhood and neighborhood now we have in masters sport,” Alexis stated. “We’re a household.”
Seasonal and lifelong objectives
One other W70 runner has since damaged Alexis’s 100m world report, operating 14.37–however the Canadian plans to take it again this season. She additionally hopes to have a robust exhibiting on the world championships in South Korea in August.
The Canadian observe championships shall be hosted in June by the Ottawa Lions. “I need to run the 100m within the open division at 71,” Alexis stated. “I’m not going to get that chance once more–it could be thrilling simply to be there.” It’s a giant aim, however doable: the ladies’s customary is 14.00, however typically, different runners will be invited to run if there are empty lanes.
Alexis has one elementary aim: to run for the remainder of her life. “Working makes me breathe, makes me free, and makes me a child once more, taking part in with my associates,” she stated. “What could possibly be higher than that?”