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Running with Grace
						Like writing, I don't ever remember not running. When I was little, I played horse and galloped everywhere. Later I became aware that there was something called "track," though girls apparently didn't do it. Boys did. No matter. I would do it. The sport virtually didn't exist for girls in high school or college in the US until about the early to mid-70's; where it did exist was mainly in little ethnic clubs around the country. So when I was 15 in l949 and longing to run track, my mother discovered that Stella Walsh, l932 Olympic 100m champion for Poland, who lived thirty miles away in Cleveland, actually coached girls' track. So I ran for the Polish Falcons though I wasn't Polish. Later I ran for the Cleveland Magyars though I wasn't Hungarian. (I'm still not.)
In l957 the city of Cleveland hired a Hungarian man, Alex Ferenczy, to coach women's track. He and I started a campaign to have the 400 and 800 meters included in the women's national program; for decades US women had not been allowed to compete at anything longer than 200m. Girls just didn't do that! But our campaign was successful, and I became US half mile champion at an exhibition 880 at the national indoor championships in Akron, Ohio in l958. Since then I've been US champion and record holder numerous times, mainly in the 800, and am still competing nearly 50 years later in Masters competition. Since 1977 I've won Masters titles and set age group records in the 400, 600, 800, and mile.  I hope to win a gold medal in the Masters World Games when I'm 120, and maybe a few others along the way. I am more grateful than I can possibly say for all these years of running.
Links to other sites on the Web
	My interview in Runner's World Daily USATF All-Time Women's Outdoor     Champions
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©1996 Grace Butcher