Grete Waitz

I sent my sister a text this morning that simply said:   

H sh*t.  Grete Waitz died.  Cancer.


Her response:  No way!!!  She's like, your idol... 



Yup.  Grete Waitz was the first runner I was a fan of.  I was intrigued by her.  I remember watching her win those marathons in NYC.  I remember listening to her and thinking how great of a person she seemed.  Even before I was a runner, I was a fan of hers. 

When I became a runner, I even put my hair into pigtails like hers.  I probably secretly hoped I could run like her someday.

Grete was invited to run the NYC marathon as a pacesetter in 1978, although she'd never run a marathon before, and ended up winning it and setting a new world record.

She was a pioneer in female running, she did work for several charitable organizations, and she continued her determination in the fight against cancer.

A class act, in my book. 

Grete Waitz died today at the age of 57, in her hometown of Olso, with her husband by her side. 

I truly hope she knew how much she was admired and appreciated, even by those of us whom she never met.