Twisting and folding a pair of bright orange runners, Jean-Jacques “JJ” Schmidt is explaining the mechanics of running shoes outside his West Richmond home.
With 35 years experience in the sport of running, he’s like some kind of strides scholar. It’s hard to believe he only discovered the sport at age 40 — with a little help from his daughter.
“She’s the reason why I became a Kajak and a runner,” he says of daughter Frederique. “If it wasn’t for her I probably would have never run. I maybe would have chosen something else.”
Lately Schmidt, days away from his 75th birthday, has been busy helping organize the annual Steveston Ice-Breaker, an eight-kilometre run/walk set for Jan. 17. It’s one of the first local road races of the new year, allowing folks with fitness resolutions a chance to hit the ground running.
“There’s no bad time to start being active,” says Schmidt, now seated in his home office decorated with athletic and coaching awards. “You want to be active in your life. Move. Running is nice in the way you can do it anywhere. You need very little equipment.”
Born in Paris, Schmidt relocated to Algeria as a child with his family after the war. It’s there he met his future wife Jacqueline. He later joined the French Air Force, serving as a telecommunications specialist for five years in France.
When he and his wife began looking for new horizons, they found Vancouver in 1971, arriving with their three kids, two suitcases and a few hundred bucks.
“We were very well received in Canada, especially with three children; they really took care of us. I love Canada for that,” says Schmidt, his French accent still strong.
He became a Canadian citizen, bought a home in Richmond and started a long technology career focused on product development. Then came the running.
James Gilmore elementary, where his kids attended, had a physical education teacher keen on the sport. Daughter Frederique took to it and needed a running partner. Dad volunteered. They started slow: run, walk, repeat. Soon they were running the length of West Dyke. Frederique joined the Richmond Kajaks Track and Field Club and Schmidt was asked to help.
Within a year Schmidt was a certified running coach, specializing in middle and long distances, as well as cross-country. He also started running with the club’s master runners under the tutelage of Doug Clement. Schmidt’s athletic career had begun—at age 40.
Schmidt began running marathons. His best came in 1986, the Expo 86 marathon, where he finished first in his age group with a blazing time of two hours, 37 minutes.
His most memorable race came in 1991 at the Portland marathon. A lingering groin pain was nagging him, but he packed painkillers and went ahead. Despite an injury that doctors later determined was a stress fracture, Schmidt finished first among Canadians while setting a course record for the 50-plus group. His record held for eight years, and was only broken by another runner after organizers changed the course.
“I was so motivated. I was in great shape,” he says, pointing to a framed photo of himself in the race.
The stress fracture wouldn’t be his only injury. In the mid-1990s his right knee gave way, requiring surgery and effectively ending his competitive running career. Gone were his marathon days and a schedule of racing nearly every weekend.
“It gave me more time to focus on training other people. I started coaching adults at this time, and have them benefit from my experience—not only how to run, but also how to avoid injuries,” he says. “When you have an injury like that you can do two things: you can give up running, sit down and watch TV, or you can go out and exercise. With proper guidance and doing the right exercise you can overcome your injury.”
Today he runs about 10 kilometres three days a week and fills out trains at Thompson Community Centre gym most other days. He also still coaches with the Kajaks and has never lost enthusiasm for the sport.
“It’s the sense of belonging—to get to know (other runners), to do things together. Organize races, for example. That’s why you want to keep going.”
His advice for new athletes: take it slow and find someone who can help with training.
“Running is a sport, jogging is an occupation. The difference is when you jog, your style is not that important. When you run, your style is very important. The way you run will decide whether you’re going to get injured or not or whether you’ll improve or not.”
Schmidt hopes at least 200 runners will participate in the Steveston Ice-Breaker, which raises money for the Kajaks to help promote the sport in Richmond. Schmidt will be on the sidelines helping organize—otherwise he’d be running and proving age is just a number.
Says Schmidt: “Am I really older? Yeah I’m older, but I’m not necessarily old.”
