Going for the Gold: Nurse Adele Wagner Powerwalks to First Place in the National Senior Olympics

From the frontline to the finish line, Adele Wagner's life has been shaped by endurance, service and the quiet determination that defines both nursing and sport.

For nearly 38 years, Adele has been a constant presence at Ascension Saint Agnes, caring for patients and supporting colleagues with the same steadiness that recently carried her to a national title.

At 70 years old, Adele placed first in the 5,000-meter powerwalking event at the 2025 National Senior Olympics, proving the resilience built through a lifetime of nursing does not fade with age.

Adele joined Ascension Saint Agnes in 1988 and spent most of her nearly 49-year nursing career as a pediatric nurse. She currently serves as a nurse on Ascension Saint Agnes' Associate and Occupational Health team. She said the nursing profession has never felt like a burden - even on the hardest days.

"To be honest, there's not anything I don't like," Adele said. "Like everybody, there are days you think, 'I'm tired,' but in all my years, I've never dreaded going to work."

That commitment, she said, mirrors the mindset required to compete - showing up even when the work is difficult.

A Life-long Path to Olympic Gold

An athlete since her youth, Adele played field hockey in nursing school and took up running shortly after graduating.

That chapter came to an abrupt end about four and a half years ago, when a fractured vertebra left her unable to run.

"The first day I was told I couldn't run, I went out, tied my shoes, and cried for three straight miles while I walked," Adele said.

But the same adaptability she relied on in her profession carried her forward. With guidance from a friend, Adele transitioned to powerwalking - relearning how to compete, step by step, while listening carefully to her body.

After several years of training, her persistence paid off.

In 2024, Adele earned gold medals in the 1,500-meter and 5,000-meter powerwalking events at the Maryland Senior Games. The following summer, in 2025, she advanced to the National Senior Games at Iowa State University, competing in extreme heat against 30 athletes in the 70-74 age group.

Adele finished first in the 5,000-meters and seventh in the 1,500-meters.

"When I heard someone yelling from the sidelines that I had gotten first, I couldn't believe it," she said.

A Personal Mission that Powers Life and Work

For Adele, racing has never been just about winning. Many of her events are tied to charitable causes-a connection that reflects her career spent caring for others.

"If it's not for a charity, I won't do it," Adele said.

She continues to compete most weekends and credits her stamina not only to physical training, but to a career that taught her how to endure, adapt, and keep going for the sake of others.

"You're always watching yourself, but you're watching others too," she said.

Adele said staying active is a deliberate choice shaped by both her profession and her personal loss.

"I want my life to be really good," she said. "You have to have fun - and you have to finish."