Last Saturday, a handful of athletes competed in the Penn Relays, but there is one that stands out above the rest.

Lester Wright, who is a WWII veteran from New Jersey, is also 100 years old. He conveniently turned 100 just the day before the 100 meters, making it an epic race.

Reporters said it was his first race in more than three years, as he had been ill for some time. See the Fox 29 Philadelphia report below.

Wright had quite an impressive racing history. He grew up in Long Branch, New Jersey, where he was a member of the track team. He ended up marrying his high school girlfriend and after college he opened the first black-owned dental lab in his area.

He always loved racing but didn’t really take it seriously until his 30s, which was quickly cut short by the need to serve in World War II.

Upon returning from the war, Wright continued to pursue his hobby. He broke a sprint record nearly 26 years ago, and last weekend he broke a second record for his age class after finishing the 100m in just 26.34 seconds.

Wright is a role model for many athletes around the world, proving that age and time should never get in the way of achieving your dreams.

When asked if he would compete in the next Penn Relays, he gave a hopeful answer. I do hope that we New Jerseyans can cheer him on next year and for years to come.

The views expressed in the above post are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Judi Franco only.

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