Career
She was the oldest active athlete. She is the current holder of the masters world record in numerous events including the W85 Triple Jump, W100 Shot Put, Discus, Hammer Throw, Weight Throw and Javelin Throw and was the oldest competitor to complete a Throws Pentathlon and thus holds the record in that event. In younger age divisions, she held many more records that have been surpassed.
Her famous quote for longevity:
“Don’t eat vegetables, because I never eat vegetables.
I know people that like diets that will scream at me, (but) don’t eat vegetables. I never have.”
Ruth Pursehouse was born in Goulburn, New South Wales.
She played field hockey as a girl. She became active in sports administration as a young girl.
After playing with the Gouldburn Hockey Club, she served on the team committee.
Her husband"s work as a civil engineer took them to Darwin where she was Secretary of the Darwin Golf Club. After 5 years in Lithgow, where Ray surveyed the athletics fields for Dubbo, Orange, Bathurst and Lithgow the couple lived in Sydney, where they were the power couple of athletics officiating. She was a leader with the Women's Amateur Athletics Association of NSW serving as Country Secretary, Records Officer, State Executive, and Secretary of the Northern Suburbs Women's club and Mid-west club
She took up being an active athlete in 1982 at the age of 73.
Helen estimates she set as many as 25 world records in her career. Ruth was featured in the American Broadcasting Company documentary about and entitled the 100+ Club.
She died in Brisbane aged 104.