72-Year-Old Marathon Running Superstar - Wendy Ward's Story

72-year-old superstar, Wendy Ward, has defied the impossible from a smashed pelvis and 12 weeks in hospital to finishing a 42km marathon.

Wendy is an inspiration, but her story doesn’t fall short of challenges, setbacks, and countless hurdles.

Her journey began over a decade ago when trying out a weight-watches programme, “I was exercising and walking every single day and I lost 17kg,” Wendy says.

One thing led to another and she found herself competing at the Pistol Shooter’s Master Games in Alice Springs, bringing home two silver medals.

“It wasn’t until the Sports Editor of the Maitland Mercury, Josh Callinan, asked to write an article on me for Seniors Week back in 2015. He said to me “Why don’t you get a coach?” and that was when I started looking at my achievements as something with more potential.

“I started running with David Marsh at the Maitland Tri Club, then I started entering things, then I started winning things,” she says.

Wendy was faced with a major setback when came off her bike while training at her new club back in 2015.

With a smashed pelvis, broken hip and over eight fractures all over her body, medical experts questioned her ability to walk again.

After the injury Wendy was determined to run again, “they gave me one of those walking frames and I used to walk up and down the hospital aisle for about six hours a day,” she says.

Six weeks after coming out of the hospital she did the Fernly 15km and hasn't stopped since.

Wendy’s Surgeon, Professor Brolong says, “she is lucky to be walking again, let alone running,”

Over the years, Wendy has continued to face multiple injuries that have threatened her ability to keep running.

“Two years ago I broke 6 of my ribs and my collarbone, but it hasn’t stopped me, it just made me even more determined,” she says.

Wendy says she keeps running because she loves it, it helps her sleep better and feel more confident.

“I get that endorphin hit and think, jeez I feel good,” she says.

Wendy is now an ambassador for Genesis Fitness Australia and trains with a coach once a week.

She is focusing on making the Gold Coast marathon an annual event, but due to the pandemic, it's been two years since she last competed.

“Hopefully I'm going to do another marathon, if not, it will definitely be another half next year at the Gold Coast, I just want to keep running as long as I possibly can,” Wendy says.