Athlete Profile | Judi St. Hilaire

Runner
Somerset, Mass.

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She is a familiar sight on Somerset pavements. Running. Running. Running.

Judi St. Hilaire has raced from the hills of Vermont to the Olympic oval in Barcelona, Spain. And today as a "master" she still "mixes it up" with the next generation of elite young runners. Lately, she promises herself every year to hang up the competitive running shoes. But, as her Somerset neighbors will attest, she hasn't slowed down.

On running:

St. Hilaire's career started as a teenager in high school and earned her an athletic scholarship to the University of Vermont where she was an All-American track star and the national collegiate track and field champion in 1980.

Her running has literally taken her around the world. She was a member of the US World Championship Track & Field Team in Tokyo in 1991 and the 1992 US Olympic Team in Barcelona, where she finished 8th in the final of the 10,000 meters. In 1993 she was ranked No. 1 in the US Track & Field Association's World Road Race rankings.

St. Hilaire held a number of running records, including the 5K (3.1 miles) American road record in 1989.

Today, she still races as a master (over 40), often finishing first in that division and still in the top 10 when paired with younger racers. She also serves as a mentor to rising young track stars and recently spent time coaching Sheila Agrawal of Swansea, who currently is a collegiate track star at Duke University in Durham, N.C.

How Southcoast has kept her in the game:

St. Hilaire credits Southcoast SPORT physical therapist Melinda Tviet, PT, as "keeping me together" during her all-important Olympic racing year. St. Hilaire had been traveling up to Boston for medical treatment but a therapist there recommended Tviet.

St. Hilaire's punishing running schedule has resulted in a variety of foot injuries that have plagued her throughout her career. Tviet has provided a range of therapies included deep tissue massage and joint mobilization that often have meant the difference between competing and not competing in some of the biggest races of St. Hilaire's career.

On sport:

"My running has been a source of fulfillment throughout my life," St. Hilaire said. "It started as a competitive outlet, but now it's become my major stress reducer and the way I maintain my fitness and health. I'm not the same person if I don't have my morning run.

"I think that sport gives you tools you can use in everyday life. It gives you the same structure and foundation that you need to succeed in doing your job ... almost anything. Things like setting goals, managing time. Striving to be your best in a sport gives you an inner drive that you never lose."

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Photos by Corinna Raznikov.