By June Hussey

Sister Madonna Buder, the oldest competitor to have ever completed an Ironman triathlon, still has the grace to race—at 80. In Tucson recently for a spiritual retreat in between competitions in California and Canada, the nun was honored July 25th at an 80^th birthday celebration hosted by the Fountains at La Cholla, a full-service community for active seniors. Sister joins a long list of celebrities who have made appearances there, including Jack LaLanne and Art Linkletter.

As a room full of admirers looked on, Sister Madonna blew out two candles on her cake, wishing aloud on each candle that she will successfully complete the next of two Ironman competitions she plans to attend. She will compete in August at Ironman Canada, opening the 80-84 age group for the first time. The race is a qualifying event for Ironman Hawaii in October.

The “Iron Nun” inspired her Tucson fans, including local triathletes of all ages from Tucson Tri-Girls club, when she said, “You can do anything if you believe it. You have to believe.”

Sister Madonna became the oldest finisher at Ironman Hawaii in 2002, at the age of 72. She described what it was like running under a full moon, after swimming 2.4 ocean miles and cycling 112 miles in the lava heat. “I made up haiku’s, repeating them over and over while I ran,” she said. She wanted to remember them and write them down when she finished the 26-mile run.

Eight miles from the finish, she said, she thought about her deceased father and how much the champion oarsman and handball player had inspired her with his own late-life athletic feats.

“He’d moved on to another residence by then,” she said, “and I asked him as I ran, ‘Daddy would you ever be doing this?’ He answered me back, ‘No way, not without wheels under me!’”

Some people spend a lifetime searching for purpose. Sister has found hers twice: First in serving others, and later as an extreme athlete. The two passions blend well.

“You never know how God is going to use you,” she said.

Sister Madonna explained how she wanted to become a nun to be like her 7^th grade teacher, whom she admired for her commitment to a life in service to others. “Serving others makes life worthwhile,” she said.

When she was 48, she was introduced to running by a priest on the Oregon Coast, who suggested that running is a great way to integrate the body, mind and spirit. She tried it immediately and found that she was quite good at it.

“It was April Fool’s Day,” she recalled. “I think I’ve been a fool ever since!”

She added, “Running really does harmonize my body and soul. All runners understand that.”

About turning 80, Sister said, “I ignore my age. I just keep on doing,” she said. She has completed more than 38 marathons and 325 triathlons. On July 18 she won her age group in the Vineman 70.3 Triathlon (1.2 mi. swim, 56 mi. bike, 13.1 mi. run) in a time of 7 hours 44 minutes.

To train, she says she usually runs to and from Mass near her home in Spokane, Washington. Due to inclement winters, she has to hang up her bike around October. But she swims year round.

“Everyone should swim,” she told the audience. “It’s the best exercise for older people because it’s low impact and high resistance.”

Her latest book, The Grace to Race (Simon and Schuster), is due out this Fall. Reviewer Dara Torres, Olympic gold medalist and author of Age Is Just a Number writes "Sister Madonna proves you can make records, and break them all over again, at any age. Her spirit is without limits." Pre-orders are being taken now at online bookstores.