If you know Grace Twa, you know she's quite the athlete.
She was part of the winning rink at the NWT Junior Curling Championships in Inuvik this past December but she's also quite the runner as well. She proved she's just as good at that while on vacation in Hawai'i last month.
photo courtesy of Colin Charlton
Twa won the 14 and Under 10K race at the Maui Oceanfront Marathon on Hawai'i, her first win outside the NWT and she managed to beat her goal time of one hour and 30 minutes, winning the race in a time of one hour, nine minutes, 58 seconds.
SA国际影视传媒淚 had no idea how I would do before the race,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淚 wanted to break 90 minutes but I didn't do a lot of running before the race.SA国际影视传媒�
The race was part of a family vacation to the Pacific island state last month and it was a family affair. Her father, Cameron Twa, ended up doing the full marathon while her mom did the half-marathon.
Her race? All a part of the payment, as she explains.
SA国际影视传媒淩unning the race was the vacation tax I had to pay,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淲e plan vacations around a race and we always do one whenever we go somewhere.SA国际影视传媒�
That was the case when the Twa family went to Walt Disney World in Florida last year; she ended up running a race there.
Twa had no idea who she would be up against in Hawai'i nor did she know how many people were in her group as the start of the race approached, she said.
SA国际影视传媒淚 went and signed up for my bib and I got my number,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淚 got my bib and then I started to wonder how many people I would be up against.SA国际影视传媒�
Her father started his marathon bright and early, followed by her mother shortly after that, followed by the 10K race.
SA国际影视传媒淭here wasn't a lot of hills,SA国际影视传媒� said Twa. SA国际影视传媒淭here were some uphills but nothing massive. It was very flat and very hot and humid right next to the ocean. It was the second hardest run I've ever done.SA国际影视传媒�
The hardest ever? A cross-country run at the Yellowknife Ski Club.
After she crossed the finish line, Twa had no idea she had won. She didn't even know how she was doing out on the course because there was no way to check.
SA国际影视传媒淎 family friend took me back to the hotel so I could get a shower and change,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淚 went back to check the board and that's when I realized I won.SA国际影视传媒�
With her medal around her neck, Twa said that's when she realized how big a deal winning was.
SA国际影视传媒淚t felt really rewarding,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淚'm glad all the hard work I've done in running paid off.SA国际影视传媒�
Next up for Twa will be a run with her father at an event in Calgary but there's one run she won't be getting to go on SA国际影视传媒� a trail run her parents will be doing in Ireland next month.
SA国际影视传媒淚 have to stay home and go to school,SA国际影视传媒� she said.
