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Sis
Warnke
Age: 82
years
Residence:
Las Cruces
Event:
cycling, track
When Sis Warnke was growing up, she watched her two older brothers
participate in sports, but she stayed on the sidelines because there was
no competition for girls in most of the United States. Missouri,
where she was born and raised, however, was among the first to push
athletic competition for women, though only within the school itself.
"When I was in college, I majored in P.E., but
at that time very few universities had team sports for women. Any
sport that came along I did a stab at:
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volleyball, basketball,
badminton, track. I was always active as I was growing up. I
was a Tom boy, I guess."
Warnke still jogs about three miles and cycles six
miles a day. If she doesn't feel like running, she says she'll
walk fast. "People ask me how do you do that," she
said. "Two little words: Keep moving."
After teaching physical education classes for 30
years, some at Las Cruces' Alameda Junior High School, she retired from
teaching. She didn't stay retired for long, however. One of
Warnke's daughters, Michelle Self, encouraged her to open a dancewear
shop. Self opened a studio next door and continues to teach
dance. Warnke has since closed the shop.
Warnke has competed in every National Senior Olympics
since the first event help in St. Louis, Missouri in 1987 and has won
medals at National, State, and local Senior Olympic games. She
especially enjoys being able to compete at the national level. At
the age of 82, she said she is outliving her competition locally.
"All I have to do is enter now and the gold medal is mine,"
she laughed. "I didn't have any one in my age group. I
just have to get out and do it."
To those unsure about getting involved, Warnke
suggested volunteering. "They always need volunteers and you
could find out what it's all about," she said.
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