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* Mary Ann Martin   Grand Veteran Ladies Division *

Reprinted from NeighborsGo, Garland, Wylie, Sachse Edition    August 14, 2009 Garland Speedskater Still Rolling Strong By Carolyn Gibson I nline Speedskater, Mary Ann Martin of Garland is 55 and still racing and still setting records. In July she travelled to Peoria, Ill., along with hundreds of inline skaters from across the country to compete in the biggest indoor race of the year - the 2009 USA Roller Sports national championship race.              Martin has been to the big show at least a dozen times before. Last year she won a bronze medal for finishing third overall in her age group. But she wanted more, so over the last year of training, she trained hard, lost 40 pounds and overcame a shoulder injury. All that hard work paid off, as this year she won a silver medal and set another record in her division. Martin finished first in the 500-meter and second in the 1,000-meter races. She was leading the 700-meter race when she fell and tumbled and rolled across the finish line where two skaters passed her, putting her in third place.   As a result of all that, Martin was awarded second place overall out of nine skaters in the Grand Veteran Lady Division, earning a silver medal. Martin has always been a strong sprinter, and for the second time in her life, she set a record at nationals in her division. This time it was 58.677 seconds in the 500 meter event.   In 1997 she clocked a time of 33.18 seconds in the 300-meter race.   But back then she was skating on quads - skates where the wheels are attached on all four corners - like a car. Martin now skates on inlines, sometimes called roller blades, where the wheels are all in a row. Both of her records still stand today.  Martin is already plotting strategy for next year.               She said her goal is to beat Texas Speed’s Debra Smotrilla in 2010.             Smotrilla took first place in the 700- and 1,000-meter races to edge out Martin in the overall standings.        “I don’t usually spend a lot of money on myself,” she said. “But I’m ordering custom boots for my skates. And then next year I’ll come back and beat her.”  If this year’s improvement over last year is any predictor, Martin will do it.             Mary Ann Martin skates for DFW Speed, an in-line skating club with members of all ages, from all parts of the Dallas Fort Worth area.  Carolyn Gibson is the publicity coordinator of DFWSpeed.

Reprinted from NeighborsGo August 23, 2008 In Line Now and Still Rolling Along By Carolyn Gibson    Garland resident, Mary Ann Martin is 54 years old and still rolling along.    In July she headed to Lincoln, Neb. where she placed third overall in her age group in one  of in-line skating’s biggest events of the year - the 2008 USA Roller Sports in-line championships.    Martin has been there before.  She set a record in 1997 in the Master Women Division for quads, or skates with four wheels on the corners.  Her record of 0.33.18 in the 300 meter race still stands today.    “Those women were knocking me around pretty good,” Martin said, “and I just wanted to get away from them.”  She also placed first in quads overall that year at Nationals.     When Martin started skating at age 7, quads were about the only thing skaters used. Today she competes on in-lines, where the wheels are all in a row. Mary Ann started making the transition from quads to in-lines back in the late 1990’s.     Mary Ann skates for DFW Speed, an in-line speed skating club with members of all ages, from all corners of the Dallas Fort Worth metroplex.  Members of the club train at the Texas Skatium in Garland, The Holiday Skatium in Haltom City, and the Arlington Skatium in Arlington.