Aug 29, 2000

Mariposa "Po" Adams has lived a lot of years. But it wasn't so many that she couldn't still have "the greatest experience of my life."

Po is an active 76. She not only runs but serves the sport in other ways, notably as an RRCA official.

When the call went out for volunteers for the Olympic Trials in her hometown of Sacramento, she signed on immediately. "I worked at Athletes' Registration for two days, and it was wonderful to meet the greats," she says.

Po's inside look at the Trials grew even closer the first Saturday evening when she ran a special 800 for women masters. The event was handicapped by age, with Po starting more than a minute ahead of the youngest runner.

"Do you know how it feels to start out on that 400-meter oval all by yourself with 20,000 people in the stands, and then look up and see yourself on the huge TV screen, running all alone?" she says. "Somehow I finished; I don't know how or when."

Po adds, "I think it is wonderful that the the USATF and the Sacramento Trials Committee showed the world that the sport involves more than the Olympic hopefuls and can continued well beyond age 40. We masters had all the privileges of the real Trials athletes."

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