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AUGUST // SEPTEMBER 2018 • MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
pounding. You get a variation and that keeps
your body exercised.”
For those unfamiliar with these terms,
triathlons involve biking and swimming in
addition to running.
That was in 1977, 41 years ago. Many races
have followed.
“Your body gets used to it, and it isn’t a
big deal,” she said. “All I can say is that when
people get older, even though it may not feel
good, keep moving, any way you can, just
keep moving.”
Sister Madonna Buder was 55 when she
attempted her first Ironman. An Ironman
starts with a 2.4-mile swim followed by a
112-mile bike ride and ending with a 26.2-
mile run. Since that first Ironman, she has
competed in roughly 45 more.
That alone is beyond remarkable, but it
doesn’t tell the extent of her successes.
In 2005 at the Hawaiian Ironman, at age
75, she was the oldest woman to finish an
Ironman triathlon. In 2009 she completed the
Ironman Canada event in Penticton. That set a
record for being the oldest female to complete
an Ironman. Next in 2012, when she finished
the Subaru Ironman in Canada, she finished in
16 hours and 32 minutes, becoming the oldest,
man or woman, to finish an Ironman event.
In 2014 she was inducted into the USA
Triathlon Hall of Fame.
One would think that now, at 88, she would
retire from running triathlons, but that’s not
the case. She doesn’t do Ironman triathlons
with their specific distances, but does other
triathlons where all three events are involved,
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Overseas Citizens
Vote In Midterm
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(STATEPOINT) For Service members and
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An easy way to help loved ones in the
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Voters can visit FVAP.gov to find state-by-
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ing a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA),
which is the registration and ballot request
form, or the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot
(FWAB), the backup ballot. Both forms are
available at FVAP.gov and can be filled out
with the online assistant or by hand.
For additional information, visit FVAP.
gov, email [email protected] or call 1-800-438-
VOTE (8683).
The sooner voters register and request
their ballots, the greater the likelihood they
can successfully vote. That’s because ballots
must be sent back before individual state
deadlines, which vary by state. MSN
INSPIRATION PAGE 21
but at somewhat lower distances. Her last “Whenever I’m in town I visit the jail
Ironman was in 2014. regularly,” she said. “There has never been a
What keeps her going? fruitless visit to the jail. There’s always been
“It’s like being in a society, because the someone I relate to and am able to inspire with
triathletes have become like family to me. I a new way of thinking about themselves. You
don’t want to lose that interaction,” she said. just never know whose lives you’re going to
Sister Buder has competed in 377 triath- touch. Just being present to pray with them
alons over the years, and she’s competed in may be all you need to do.”
about 45 Ironman competitions. Her advice to seniors is to have something
She laughed as she told of a Nike com- creative or physical, to keep them interested.
mercial she was involved in. “That was quite That will help to live a long life.
an experience! The first day was an 18-hour “People after a certain age may simply die
shoot. The second day was a 16 hour shoot. of boredom,” Sister Buder said. “There are so
All that for less than a minute commercial.” many volunteer positions—there’s no reason
That commercial can be seen if you search to just sit still all day long. The only failure is
for ‘Nike Commercial Sister Madonna’. not to try. Your effort itself is a success.” MSN
This article is obviously about her tri-
athlon history, which is second to none, but
religious work fills her days.
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