Ann Hegstrom

Ann is a 69 year old athlete who rediscovered running as recreation and competition in her 50’s. She ran track and field in high school, not the star who qualified for the State Track meet, but a solid runner who could help fill out a relay. Ann and her husband Gary (a quadriplegic in a power wheelchair) started participating in charity 5k runs, and soon the competitive drive was reborn.
Ann soon started participating in Iowa Games (all ages - it does a teacher’s heart proud to watch the youngest runners embrace the joy of running!) and then Iowa Senior Games. The running community not only helped with coaching (especially technical events like triple jump and race walking) but also helped with healing from sorrow following the loss of her husband, and hope in the aftermath of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. Ann believes that, although training for building strength and speed with an awareness of injury prevention and recovery, perhaps her higher purpose is to offer encouragement, coaching, and support for athletes who are struggling. By design, Ann’s outfits are bold and attract attention. People approach initially to comment, then suddenly a conversation begins. Once a teacher….always a teacher.