Dorothy Robarts
World Champion and Role Model of Health Maturation

At 83, Dorothy decided she would have to do something drastic to keep the rocking chair and arthritis from claiming her. She saw a notice of a racewalking class given by Jack Bray at the College of Marin. “That’s for me”, she thought and indeed it proved to be true!

She took the class in the Fall of 1992 and at first, could make it only to the first tree on the bike path from the College used during the Marin Race Walkers Club workouts. With continuing encouragement, she worked up to doing the full 2 miles of the out and back, capped off with 4 more laps on the College track to complete 3 miles!

A year later in August of 1993, she went to the Masters Track and Field Championships in Provo, Utah for one of her first races, winning the gold medal in the 5K race at 48:14 (W80-84).

She says, “I have never been an athlete, although I did help run a ranch and I raised my two sons alone. I watch my diet, eating healthy foods and I’m still working! My Coach, Jack Bray said I could do it and so being a stubborn Scots woman, there was no stopping me once I had made up my mind. My friends think that I work too hard at race walking but where else could a woman of my age get gold medals, praise, support and encouragement for my own accomplishments! Besides, I’d rather wear out than rust out!”

Dorothy has many gold medals by now, is reigning World Champion in her age class and always the winner of the One Hour Postal Championships, consistently increasing her distance each year - defying the notion that age will make you slow down.

She will journey to South Africa soon to defend her World Championship and seek another gold medal!