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PAGE A14, KEIZERTIMES, MAY 31, 2019 KEIZERTIMES.COM Keizer race walker pursues Olympic dreams BY MATT RAWLINGS Of the Keizertimes Lydia McGranahan has al- ways had a passion for being active. The 42-year old Keizer resident loves backpacking, hiking and biking. She teach- es water aerobics and spin classes at The Kroc Center in Salem and has also competed in triathlons in the past. And in less than three years, McGranahan has turned that passion into be- coming one of the best race walkers in the country. On Sept. 30, 2018, Mc- Granahan qualifi ed for the 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials in the 50 Kilometer race walk by fi nishing her race in 5:08.16 at the Open & Mas- ters Race Walk Champion- ships in Owego, NY. Just six months later, McGranahan also met the Olympic Trials time require- ment for the 20K event at the Race Walk Champion- ships in Tustin, Calif. “It’s blown me away how fast all of this happened,” McGranahan said. “I hon- estly just keep surprising myself. I’m really driven and really determined.” “We all have different pas- sions or things that we’re in- terested in, and it’s never too late to go after them.” McGranahan was fi rst in- troduced to race walking in 2014 when her daughter, Mariah, who was 10 years old at the time, started com- peting in the sport at Salem Track Club. In the summer of 2016, both McGranahan and her daughter were volunteers during the U.S Olympic Tri- als race walking event, which took place in Salem. Just months later, while taking Mariah to a race han said. “But I’m wasn’t walking coach in Portland, getting any younger, so if I McGranahan was encour- was going to attempt to do aged to just try it out for a a 20K, I need to do it now.” In January of 2018, Mc- few laps and soon discov- ered that she was matching Granahan fl ew down to San- Olympic qualifying time in tee, Calif. to compete in her fi rst 20K and fi nished just a her 200 meter intervals. This piqued her curios- few minutes below Olympic Trials qualify- ity, so Mc- ing time. Granahan Six months decided to later, she was enter into a competing 5K event in at a 20K in Portland. Des Moines “At this IA, where she point, I wound racing didn’t really know what — Lydia McGranahan against some of the athletes she I was getting was assisting myself into,” during the 2016 Olympic McGranahan said. However, her fi rst race did Trials. “It blew me away. Here not goes as planned. Early on in the race, one I was at the start line with of the other runners took some of the same athletes a spill. While trying to as- that I was handing sponges sist the woman to her feet, and water cups to two years McGranahan suffered some ago. It never would have even crossed my mind two nerve damage in her legs. McGranahan continued years ago,” McGranahan said. to compete and even picked “It was amazing.” With her success in the up her pace a little, but wound up falling and break- 20K, McGranahan decided to push herself even further ing her arm. But she wasn’t about to by trying her fi rst 50K in let this little hiccup prevent New York last September. Despite not working with her from pursuing this sport a trainer and having no ex- further. “I just kept playing around perience with the 50K, Mc- with it and having fun with Granahan still fi nished well ahead of Olympic Trials it,” McGranahan said. After participating in a qualifying time. “At that point, I realized Portland to Coast race walk- ing relay in the summer of that I had some potential 2017, teammates saw Mc- here and that I needed to Granahan’s potential and take this a little more seri- encouraged her to attempt ously,” McGranahan said. McGranahan decided to a 20K. After weeks of consider- hire Erin Taylor-Talcott out ation, McGranahan decided of New York as her coach. Taylor-Talcott is quite fa- that she would give it a try. “I was 40 years old. Who mous in the race walking takes on a sport to that level community for pushing for at 40 years old?” McGrana- women to race walk with “It’s blown me away how fast all of this happened.” Submitted Lydia McGranahan lifts her arms in triumph after crossing the fi nish line at the 20K National Championships in March. men in the 50K. Taylor-Talcott writes up workout plans for McGrana- han, as well as coaches her through video chats, emails and phone calls. While there are challenges in maintaining a coach-ath- lete relationship across dif- ferent time zones. The two are able to make it work. “Coaching from afar would never work for non-motivated athletes, only the athletes who are self mo- tivated still thrive with a long distance coach,” Taylor-Tal- cott said. “I’m very fortunate with all the athletes I coach, they only come to me because they really want to improve, so it’s always a joy. I can’t wait to see where Lydia will con- tinue to go.” While qualifying for the 50K seemed like a lofty goal, McGranahan thought that meeting the 20K time would be even more diffi cult. “In the back of my mind, Please see RACE, Page A11 Whiteaker track team takes both All-City crowns BY MATT RAWLINGS Of the Keizertimes Scott Coburn has been coaching different sports at Whiteaker Middle School for nearly 30 years. Last week, the Wolverines track and fi eld squad was able to achieve something that had never happened in Coburn’s tenure with the school. After fi nishing the dual season undefeated, both of Whiteaker’s boys and girls teams won the All-City track meet at on Tuesday, May 14 at Sprague High School. The girls scored 146 points for the event and sent 18 athletes to the podium, while the boys team scored 125 points and had 15 athletes place. “It was one of our most successful seasons of all time,” Coburn said. “This was a team that really pulled together and always support- ed each other. They showed a lot of heart this season.” “There is some natural, God-given talent on this team. Our kids were com- peting well at every grade level and in every event.” After not coming out for track last year, Lillian Besa concluded her incred- ibly successful season with a victory in the discus with a throw of 84-feet-5-inches. “She felt so so good about herself after she won all-city,” Coburn said. “Lillian has been getting better all year and she just did a super job.” While Besa earned the lone victory for the Whiteak- er girls, the rest of the squad was able to pile up a number of high fi nishes throughout the meet — the Wolverines Submitted From left to right: Cassius Hernandez, Ethan Wollangk, Pawit Potisuk and Pawat Potisuk show off their fi rst place ribbons after winning the 7th grade boys 4x100 relay at the All-City meet on Tuesday, May 14. gained six second place fi n- sprinter, and bringing home ishes to go along with a trio the victory for Whiteaker. “It was one of the most of third place fi nishes. Avery Buss placed sec- exciting races of the day,” ond in the seventh-grade Coburn said. “People in the 100-meter race with a time stands were jumping around. of 14.12 seconds, and also It was really cool to see those boys celebrate fi nished sec- together.” ond in the Braiden long jump Copeland was with a new the only mul- personal-best t i p l e - eve n t of 14-feet-10- winner for inches. Whiteaker as Although he earned a she fi nished in pair of wins in third, Aspynn both the long Westby broke jump (16- the Whiteaker — Scott Coburn 11) and high school record jump (5-8). in the 1500m “Braiden’s athletic ability — which has stood for 14 years — with her person- really showed on that day,” Coburn said. “He showed al-best time of 5:28.42. “We just try and love our calmness and stayed within kids and encourage them to himself, which was a big fac- do the best that they possibly tor for him.” Whiteaker’s other indi- can, and the kids really have responded to that,” Coburn vidual winner on the boys side was Darius Afalava, who said. Coming into the meet, was victorious in the sixth Whiteaker’s boys seventh grade shot put (39.10.5) While Coburn was very grade 4x100 relay team hadn’t lost a race all season. pleased with his team’s suc- But they sure made their fi - cess, he was also thrilled to nal city race of the season an share that 175 kids came out for the team this season, and exciting one. As the relay went into almost all of them showed the fi nal turn, the Wolver- signifi cant improvement. “Throughout the season, ines were actually sitting in second, trailing Parrish. But we had kids improve from Whiteaker anchor Pawat Po- being one of the slowest tisuk took the baton from kids on the team to being a his twin brother, Pawit, and middle-of-the-road kid on caught Demari Thompson the track. That’s a wonderful from behind, crossing the success too.” fi nish-line just two-tenths of a second ahead of the Parrish “It was one of our most successful seasons of all time.”