Flourtown athlete throws herself into sport
A Flourtown athlete took a vacation to Colorado last month and came back with some new hardware.
Heather Scanlon took up the javelin throw, the discus throw and the shot put about six or seven years ago. She dabbled in the track and field events a little while she was in high school and in college, but wasn’t very competitive. But the 46-year-old recently came back from the National State Games of America held in Colorado Springs, Colo., after winning gold medals in all three events Aug. 2 in her 45 to 49 year old division.
“I had been a softball player and was injured, and I needed another sport,” Scanlon said. “I hadn’t been competitive in high school, and definitely not competitive in college. It’s just one of those things where I held on to my strength into my 40s, and it made a difference.”
Scanlon made it to the biannual National State Games by winning Pennsylvania’s Keystone State Games.
“I think I’ve won gold in shot put for the last five years at least,” she said, adding that she has competed in the hammer throw in addition to her other medal-winning events.
Since Scanlon’s events require throwing sharp and heavy projectiles, she said it’s difficult to find a venue to practice. She throws the shot put in a nearby park in Flourtown, though the javelin and hammer throw need to be conducted in special areas with someone accompanying her — just in case a bystander decides to run through her field of vision.
“Pretty much, nobody wants you to practice on their fields,” she said with a laugh. “I do a lot of working out at Wallace and Glick [physical therapy] in Flourtown. So, I work out there on cardio and do some small weight training.
As for applying her cardio and weigh training, she said jokingly, “I throw on a field, whenever I can find a field.”
And, with this being amateur sports, read: no sponsorship, Scanlon said she had to ship her discus, shot put and javelin via the postal service to where she was staying in Colorado Springs.
Scanlon said there were more than 10,000 athletes at the National State Games. They represented track and field athletes as well as runners and swimmers. The events took place all over the state. Scanlon’s events were held at a high school outside of Colorado Springs, which was adjacent to a U.S. Air Force Academy, and took one day to complete.
“I see many of the same people, not only from Pennsylvania, but from all over the country,” Scanlon said. “You have good friends that you see at various meets. The people who do it, do it as a hobby — and they really believe in it and it’s a really inspirational thing.”
She adds that she had a great view of Pike’s Peak, which dominates the sky in Colorado Springs.
And the events never really stop. Scanlon said she’s preparing for a local track and field meet at the University of Delaware that kind of caps-off the outdoor season — then she starts training for the indoor season, and the indoor nationals in Boston.
Though she hasn’t won any national championships yet, Scanlon is optimistic — and said she’s young.
“I’d say we’re one of the few groups where we actually get excited when we turn older, because that means that you’re the young person in your next age group, and you a chance to set records,” she said.
Heather Scanlon took up the javelin throw, the discus throw and the shot put about six or seven years ago. She dabbled in the track and field events a little while she was in high school and in college, but wasn’t very competitive. But the 46-year-old recently came back from the National State Games of America held in Colorado Springs, Colo., after winning gold medals in all three events Aug. 2 in her 45 to 49 year old division.
“I had been a softball player and was injured, and I needed another sport,” Scanlon said. “I hadn’t been competitive in high school, and definitely not competitive in college. It’s just one of those things where I held on to my strength into my 40s, and it made a difference.”
Scanlon made it to the biannual National State Games by winning Pennsylvania’s Keystone State Games.
“I think I’ve won gold in shot put for the last five years at least,” she said, adding that she has competed in the hammer throw in addition to her other medal-winning events.
Since Scanlon’s events require throwing sharp and heavy projectiles, she said it’s difficult to find a venue to practice. She throws the shot put in a nearby park in Flourtown, though the javelin and hammer throw need to be conducted in special areas with someone accompanying her — just in case a bystander decides to run through her field of vision.
“Pretty much, nobody wants you to practice on their fields,” she said with a laugh. “I do a lot of working out at Wallace and Glick [physical therapy] in Flourtown. So, I work out there on cardio and do some small weight training.
As for applying her cardio and weigh training, she said jokingly, “I throw on a field, whenever I can find a field.”
And, with this being amateur sports, read: no sponsorship, Scanlon said she had to ship her discus, shot put and javelin via the postal service to where she was staying in Colorado Springs.
Scanlon said there were more than 10,000 athletes at the National State Games. They represented track and field athletes as well as runners and swimmers. The events took place all over the state. Scanlon’s events were held at a high school outside of Colorado Springs, which was adjacent to a U.S. Air Force Academy, and took one day to complete.
“I see many of the same people, not only from Pennsylvania, but from all over the country,” Scanlon said. “You have good friends that you see at various meets. The people who do it, do it as a hobby — and they really believe in it and it’s a really inspirational thing.”
She adds that she had a great view of Pike’s Peak, which dominates the sky in Colorado Springs.
And the events never really stop. Scanlon said she’s preparing for a local track and field meet at the University of Delaware that kind of caps-off the outdoor season — then she starts training for the indoor season, and the indoor nationals in Boston.
Though she hasn’t won any national championships yet, Scanlon is optimistic — and said she’s young.
“I’d say we’re one of the few groups where we actually get excited when we turn older, because that means that you’re the young person in your next age group, and you a chance to set records,” she said.
