Frederick Lindsley, Still Running and Still Winning at 70

Grand Terrace residents may be familiar with the great success Frederick Lindsley possesses already. However, his endless strive and passion for running keeps everyone amazed. Thirty-five year Grand Terrace resident and seventy-year-old runner Lindsley recently took second place overall in the Grand Terrace 5K held in September earlier this year. He managed to beat every male runner participant in the race but finished closely behind an elite 41-year-old woman, he shared. Prior to the GT 5K, Lindsley competed in the World Masters Championship in Lyon, France in August of this year where he took fifth in the 1500-meter and took third in the 800-meter race in the Finals with a time of 2:37:71 in his age group. His trip to France came with an added bonus as he stopped by to visit his daughter Heather, his son-in-law and grandson who live in Brighton, England. “It was perfect. It was a chance to have a family gathering while doing something I love to do all in one great vacation,” he said. This wasn’t the first time Lindsley competed in elite competitions. Along with many other accolades he acquired throughout the years at competitions, he made a big impact in 2010 at the National Masters Championships. He competed in the 1500-meter race, the 800-meter race, and he was also a part of the 4x4 and 4x8 teams. During that competition, he collected two gold medals, two silver medals, and a bronze medal. However, prior to that competition, in 2009 Lindlsey had some major health issues as he found out he had bladder cancer. He underwent two surgeries and the second surgery was only seven months before the National Masters Championship where he collected two golds, two silvers, and a bronze. Born in Bell, Calif., Lindsley attended Bell High School where his love for running began as he ran for the school team. However, after he graduated he didn’t continue his running journey. Lindsley shared that it wasn’t until he moved to Grand Terrace in 1980 that he started to run again; he began to run competitively in 1981. “I have been running for 35 years now,” he added. Throughout his long journey of success, his ups, and his downs, his wife Donna has been right by his side. As high school sweethearts, they have been married for 49 years. “She’s my logistics person, she is a supporter in every way possible…my right hand man,” Lindsley explained while chuckling. Lindsley added as he explains his love for running, “I like to train, I enjoy training as much as racing. I enjoy the competition. I want to win but if I get beat I know that that person must have trained very hard.”