By Whitney Barnes
Staff Writer

Recently, a remarkable grandmother-granddaughter duo teamed up to compete in a 5K, defying expectations and showcasing that age is merely a number when it comes to pursuing dreams.

On Saturday, Oct. 19, Debbie Thompson, a 71-year-old native of Marshall, joined her 17-year-old granddaughter, Shelley Thompson, in the Salt Fork YMCA Boo Run 5K. Debbie once had aspirations of running a marathon before turning 40, and found herself reigniting that passion after a recent profound loss.

“My husband passed away in July,” she shared. “I thought, ‘You know, I want to try to run a 5K,’ and Shelley said, ‘I’ll run it with you, Grandma.’”

Shelley is a senior at Marshall High School and an accomplished athlete who competes in track and volleyball. Despite her experience in shorter distances like the 400 and 800 meters, Thompson said the teen had never run a long-distance race before.

“After she said she’d do it, I couldn’t back out,” Thompson said. “I had to do it. So, that’s when I started training.”

On race day, Thompson said she found herself doing a mix of running and walking through the course, but said she still felt a sense of achievement as she finished ahead of several participants who ran the entire race.

“It made me feel good, and it was just such a fun feeling to do it,” she said. “The best part of the day was just going out there with my granddaughter and just being with her before and after the race. It was just fun, the feeling of accomplishment and knowing that we did it together.”

While the duo doesn’t have immediate plans to participate in upcoming winter events, they both expressed a desire to tackle another race in the future.

“I’m still kind of (recovering from that one) a little bit,” Thompson laughed.

She reflected on the experience, describing it as a profound source of joy amidst her grief.

“… It was just an awesome thing to be able to do it with a granddaughter, especially kind of going through the grief thing,” she said. “It gave me something to look forward to.”

Thomson’s husband, who passed away after 51-and-a-half years of marriage, left a significant impact on her life.

“It was hard,” she said. “We started dating in 1970. It was just a very hard thing, and I needed something to focus my mind on.”

As Debbie and Shelley raced their way through the 5K, they didn’t just clock in miles — they clocked in memories. Upon crossing the finish line, the pair celebrated not only their personal milestones but also the irreplaceable bond of family. Their journey stands as a reminder that shared experiences can uplift the spirit and soothe the heart during times of grief.