Johnnie Reid, a 62-year-old African American athlete who works at the State Attorney’s office in Naples, Florida, just broke a national record at the National Senior Games in Ames, Iowa. She ran 100 meters in 13.6 seconds in the 60-64 age group.
This, however, is not the first time that she has broken a record. In 2023, she also broke a record when she ran 50 meters in 7.36 seconds in the same age group. Last week, though, while in Iowa, she broke her own record running 50 meters in 7.23 seconds.
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Reid, once a high school track runner, rediscovered her passion for the sport at age 50—and she says she’s now faster at 60 than she was a decade ago. Her return to competition began when a friend encouraged her to enter the Senior Games in Fort Myers. One race was all it took to reignite her love for the sport, and she’s been chasing speed ever since.
Back when her son left for college, Reid was searching for a project to fill her “empty nest” years. The answer came from her own past. “Running had brought me so much joy as a teenager,” she recalled. “When I started training for the Senior Games, it clicked instantly. I jumped right in and never turned back.”
Over the years, Reid has drawn inspiration from the remarkable athletes she’s met at the Senior Games. “The seniors I’ve met there are amazing,” she said. “They’ve become my heroes and ‘she-roes,’ pushing me to keep going and give my best.”
Her growth as a competitor hasn’t just come from years on the track—it’s also been fueled by a willingness to learn and adjust. Just weeks before competing in Kentucky this year, a friend pointed out that she was leaving the starting blocks incorrectly. Reid went home, turned to YouTube for guidance, and discovered how to improve her drive: explode out of the blocks, stay low, pump her arms at maximum speed. “When a race is over in seconds,” she said, “every single movement matters.”
In addition to sprinting, Reid competes in shot put and javelin, following a rigorous weekly schedule that balances track work, strength training, and skill practice. Monday nights are for sprint drills at Naples High School, running distances from 100 to 300 meters and refining her block starts. Tuesdays are reserved for shot put practice, while Wednesdays find her at the NCH Wellness Center lifting weights, squatting, and doing plyometric exercises like box jumps and lunges.
When asked what advice she would give to others aiming to train at a high level or pursue goals like competing in the Senior Games, Reid said her message is simple: if she can do it, anyone can. “You have to see it in your mind and put it in writing, almost like creating a vision board,” she explained. “My personal mantra was, ‘I am the fastest woman in my age group,’ and I kept working until that became my reality.”
Be sure to follow her on Instagram @NubianTF60
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