This past Saturday, 85-year-old avid runner Shar Tobin crossed the finish line of a half-marathon, for the 100th time in her life.
“You know, I really didn’t have a goal,” Tobin said Tuesday. “I was surprised we’d done that many, so I did start counting.”
Tobin began running more than 50 years ago, following in the footsteps of her daughter Mari, a cross-country runner.
“She’s an inspiration to so many people," Mari Tobin Siceloff said. "And there's so many people that stopped -- knew who she was, stopped her and said, 'You are my inspiration.'”
“You know you can do anything that you set your mind to," she continued. "That’s one thing that my parents taught me -- that there's no boundaries, you put your own boundaries on yourself.”
Shar Tobin has always been physically motivated and truly believes that running has kept her in great health.
She'd never had any physical-related injury until a freak accident last September.
“The injury I had was caused by a dog who was running fast, hit me from behind and caused a tendon rupture in my knee,” Tobin said.
The accident required surgery and Tobin was in a brace until December.
She started physical therapy as soon as she was able to, so she could be ready for her next marathon for Happy Girls.
Unsurprisingly, her daughter knew she'd be back to train for her next marathon opportunity in no time.
“Oh I didn’t expect anything else, I knew she was going to do it,” Tobin Siceloff said. “Of course I’m very proud -- now don’t make me cry.”
Tobin is grateful to her physical therapist Steve Tasson and his team who helped her make a full recovery.
“They’ve motivated me -- and I motivated them, because they decided to do Happy Girls too!” Tobin said. “So I made it extra-special.”
Everyone joined Tobin for the race including her PT team, Tobin's daughters, Mari and Kerri Tobin Hanson, as well as her granddaughter Keala Mari Hanson.
But it looks like Keala may follow in her grandmother's footsteps.
“Keala? Are you going to be doing this with me when I’m 85 years old?” Kari recalled asked Keala, who replied, "‘I’m in."
"That makes me so very happy,” Tobin said.
Source: KTVZ