While her results Down Under didn鈥檛 bear fruit, Frances Steinfeld鈥檚 experience was, overall, a satisfying one.

The 78-year-old 91原创 resident competed at the 22nd World Masters Athletics Track and Field Championships that ran Oct. 26 to Nov. 6 in Perth, Australia.

More than 4,000 competitors and 3,000 supporters from roughly 80 countries visited Perth for the 12-day event, which featured 25 events ranging from the javelin to 100m sprint.

鈥淚 finished near the bottom all the time,鈥� said Steinfeld who competed in most throwing events except the javelin (鈥淚 had to go and see some family,鈥� she quipped) and also the weight pentathlon, which was four throws on the same day.

For Steinfeld 鈥� a track veteran who said she started up the sport in the 鈥渓ate 鈥�70s, early 鈥�80s鈥� 鈥� travelling to the meet offered another opportunity to visit family in Australia, and to be a tourist in the country.

Her daughter, Susan, lives in Melbourne and her brother, Robert, and his family live in Perth.

鈥淭he two cousins 鈥� my daughter and (Robert鈥檚) daughter 鈥� were having a great time on the sidelines (shouting) Go Canada!鈥� Steinfeld related.

鈥淚t was fun and that was the bottom line.鈥�

Since you had to pay to compete, the trip to Perth was pricey. Steinfeld was asked: was it worth it?

鈥淣o,鈥� she said candidly. 鈥淲ell, not for us little bottom-of-the-heapers; I鈥檓 sure the people who are at the top of the heap who are really good at it鈥� and they were sort of the same bunch and they all knew each other in the age group I was in. They weren鈥檛 very friendly because they didn鈥檛 know me.鈥�

That said, Steinfeld said she was quite focused during the competition.

鈥淲hen I was finished, I went off with the family, so I didn鈥檛 join the Canadian team as much,鈥� she said.

Steinfeld attended 鈥渕ost鈥� of the opening ceremonies, 鈥渂ut once they got going with the politicians鈥� I鈥檝e heard that before.鈥�

It鈥檚 鈥渜uite the circuit,鈥� she added.

Running to throwing

Steinfeld鈥檚 nearly four decade involvement in track and field began as a way to relieve stress and tension.

Her late husband, Rudolf, enjoyed rowing and running.

鈥淗e got me started,鈥� Steinfeld said. 鈥淵ou know, when you get fat, you go for a run and eventually it [the fat] falls off. It鈥檚 the usual sequence of events.鈥�

She eventually joined the Tri-City Greyhounds track club 鈥渂ecause I could run fairly well, and it was much more fun running.鈥�

In early 2000, the longtime participant in the 55-plus BC Seniors Games decided that her legs would eventually wear out, so she switched her focus to throwing events, in particular discus and shot put.

This eventually led her to the Maple Ridge-based Ultra Throw Club, guided by president Dave McDonald.

鈥淭hey taught me more how to throw all five things 鈥� the shot, the discus, the hammer, the weight, and the javelin,鈥� Steinfeld said.

She plans on staying with the club for the foreseeable future.

Club mate Basil (Scott) Henney, 91, from Maple Ridge, was also in Perth and did 鈥渋ncredibly well,鈥� Steinfeld said.

McDonald also attended the World Masters meet.

鈥淗e鈥檚 an absolutely brilliant coach,鈥� Steinfeld said.

鈥淗e takes you from the beginning. Some of them (coaches) do spins and all this sort of wonderful stuff. I haven鈥檛 quite got up to that, but look out if I get that far. I hope to throw quite a bit farther.鈥�