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July 7, 2008
HFFA'S FIRECRACKER 5K, PARTICIPANTS CELEBRATE MILESTONES
HUNTERSVILLE, NC – On July 4, 2008, Huntersville Family Fitness & Aquatics (HFFA) celebrated the fifth anniversary of its popular Firecracker 5K and Kids Fun Run. More than 300 participants turned out for the early morning event, which signified milestones for many competitors as well.
Youngest Competitors
Several children under the age of 10 participated in the Firecracker 5K, although some were in strollers pushed by their parents. The top two youngest finishers in the 1-7 age group were Marissa Hart, 7, of Huntersville, and Anna Elizabeth Cruz, 7, of Tobaccoville.
“It felt really good,” Hart said after crossing the finish line with a time of 32:49. “This was my first 5K. It was hard in the very middle. It was fun.”
According to Cruz’s mom, Kimberly, the race was also Anna’s first 5K. Anna finished with a time of 39:19. “I’ve been competing for several years now, and this is something she can do with mom,” Kimberly explained. “She watched from the sidelines while I trained, and as soon as she could, she wanted to start racing.”
Oldest Competitor
Michael Witkin, of Davidson, held the honor of being the Firecracker 5K’s oldest competitor at age 69. He placed first in his age group and 63rd overall with a time of 23:30. Witkin has been running nearly all his life but began competing in his 40s. “A friend of mine convinced me to enter a race, and I beat everyone in it,” Witkin said. “I guess you could say it kind of took off from there.”
Witkin’s daughter, Karen Swidler, flew in from Chicago to compete in the Firecracker 5K with her father. She ended up taking home first place in the women’s division, finishing 13th overall with a time of 20:04.
A 20th Anniversary
Peggy Jessup, of Huntersville, celebrated her 20th anniversary during the HFFA Firecracker 5K. But it wasn’t her wedding anniversary; it was the anniversary of her first race following a devastating car accident more than twenty years ago.
In 1985, Jessup was driving a car that was hit head-on by a vehicle that had crossed the median. She suffered massive injuries, which required her to spend months in the hospital and years in rehabilitation. Initially, her doctors were uncertain about her ability to walk again.
Prior to the accident, Jessup had been training for her first run: Atlanta’s Peachtree Road Race. Following three years of grueling therapy, Jessup finally reached her goal and ran that race in July 1988. She has not stopped running since, with berths in triathlons, a marathon, half-marathons and over 100 races to log more than 12,000 miles as of January 1, 2008. When asked why she runs, Jessup simply states, “Because I can.”
Jessup adds, “As a teacher, it’s important to me to be able to show my students that they can get through challenges. I continue to compete and share my story as an example of how even the worst obstacles can be overcome.”
About Huntersville Family Fitness & Aquatics (HFFA):
Huntersville Family Fitness & Aquatics is about family, fitness and fun. This is a place that attracts people because of its exciting variety of programs, state-of-the-art facilities, and community partnerships. This powerful combination allows HFFA to encourage members to experience and achieve the most in health, wellness and total fitness.
Built in 2001, the 88,000-square-foot HFFA facility features state-of-the-art aquatic and fitness components, including a 50-meter pool, a 25-yard warm water pool, an outdoor family fun pool, full-court gymnasium, complete fitness center, and group exercise studio. As the only public facility in the Southeast with an Olympic-sized, 50-meter competition pool and 10-meter dive tower, HFFA regularly hosts aquatics events with up to 2,000 spectators for regional, national, and international swim and dive competitions. For more information, please call (704) 766-2222 or visit www.hffa.com.
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