The fire still burns

It all started 69 years ago.

Arna Kristian from Prince George is now 85 years old and came up against Myrtle Acton, 86, from Sooke one more time during a track and field event literally held for the ages. They met during the 55+ B.C. Games in Kelowna from Sept. 10 to 14 to test their track and field skills during the individual throwing events as well as the throws pentathlon where competitors throw all five implements in less than five hours as a test of skill and endurance.

The friendly rivalry between Arna and Myrtle started in high school when each came from their Saskatchewan school to the county competition in Saskatoon.

Back in the day nobody could beat me, Arna recalled. She was a sprinter with feet that flew, could long jump like nobody's business and threw the javelin to set records. Myrtle wasn't far behind.

"After that we went our separate ways, got married, had kids and then I started back in 1994," Myrtle said.

Arna came along a bit later.

"I started in 2002," Arna said.

"I went to Tom Masich (Prince George coach for senior competitors) and told him I'd like to do it but I haven't tried it for 100 years. I went out there and I entered four events and I got two gold, a silver and a bronze in my first year and there was a lot of people there."

Myrtle's favourite is the hammer throw. She used to do the five and 10 km walks and the race walks and this year she participated in the 1500 metre power walk for the first time.

Hammer is Arna's favourite, too.

Fierce competitors. Strong friends. The years haven't changed them much.

"We're very competitive but we're also very supportive," Myrtle said.

As with all athletes they do their best while in the throwing circle - it's all business out there - but when they walk out of the back of the circle and join their fellow competitors each athlete is greeted with cheers and applause for their efforts, even a hug or two and then there's words of advice offered for a better throw next time.

"There's no animosity," Myrtle said.

"Not even a thought," Arna added.

During the Kelowna competition, the ladies gathered around the cage to compete in the weight throw and after Myrtle was done her record-breaking throw, Arna threw her arms around Myrtle and called her a silly girl for worrying about not achieving her goal of breaking the record. Arna was ecstatic for her friend.

Arna is small in stature but fierce in determination. She mows her lawn in the summer and shovels snow in the winter. It's part of her training and she knows it's important to keep active.

And when the track and field practices started in June, Arna was the first one there, attending three times a week with conviction and tenacity, always striving to improve her throws.

Thanks to her experience, she can eyeball the 15 metre mark within six inches outside the throwing circle for hammer and discus at Masich Place Stadium.

The secret to Arna and Myrtle's success?

"Keep active and don't stop," Myrtle said. "Regardless of whether you get a medal or don't just keep going. It's the camaraderie that keeps you coming back."

Myrtle holds the national record in hammer throw, weight throw, outdoor shot put, and discus and just a few days ago she broke her own records for hammer throw, weight throw and discus.

The only record that escapes her is one for javelin.

"It's my worst throw," Myrtle said. "I just don't have the technique."

Leaving the games in Kelowna, she took a brand new Canadian record with her. She excelled during the throws pentathlon. The previous record was 4030 points held by Vancouver's Olga Kotelko since 2004 and Myrtle racked up a healthy 4279 points to beat the record quite convincingly 15 years later. How big a deal is that? Before she died in 2014 at age 95, Kotelko was world famous for her athletic feats in her 90s and was the subject of the book What Makes Olga Run?

Throughout the year, Myrtle does aquafit three times a week and walks three times a week.

"When I get back home I'm going to be thanking my physician for my hip replacement that I got a year ago January," Myrtle said. "I wouldn't have been able to do any of this without that new hip."

This update was recently posted on the Canadian Masters Athletes website: Myrtle Acton set four new CMA records at the BC 55+ Games in Kelowna. She threw the discus 17.23m, the hammer 21.04m, the weight 8.91m and won the W85 Throws Pentathlon with 4279 points. Some of Myrtle’s throws had extremely high age-gradings and world rankings. Her weight throw and throws pentathlon performances were the best in the world this year in her age group.