Yvette Drapeau is a mother of four, a grandmother of nine, and is always on the move.
She’s definitely not your average grandma. At 80-years-old she’s in training to run a full 42 km marathon two weeks' time.
“I started running marathons seven years ago when I was 73,” she said.
She’s run half marathons in several different cities but this will be her first attempt at completing a full marathon.
While people half her age struggle to stay motivated to get into shape, Drapeau said going out to train in the mornings is just a normal thing for her to do, rain or shine.
“Staying at home is not for me!” she laughed. “I never sit around doing nothing. I can’t do it.”
Yvette Drapeau flies by during a marathon training session.
Drapeau is physically active in other ways, too. She says she regularly goes out dancing on Friday nights.
Running, it seems, is a family affair for Drapeau and her kids. She’ll be participating in this marathon with two of her children.
“She’s still a kid at 80-years-old,” said her son, Andre. “That’s the beauty of my mother.”
Drapeau admits she’s a little nervous about her upcoming challenge.
“But I want to do it and will do it,” she said. “That’s what I tell myself.”
Drapeau pauses to stretch.
