Running with a purpose

Beautician does Bridge Run every year for health, memorabilia

Elaine Fabre is a woman on a mission.

Every year, Fabre, 63, walks the 3-mile route from Destrehan to Luling and collects a signed, numbered poster from the United Way Bridge Run.

She has wide, tall, colorful and dark ones – the walls of her Luling salon, The Beauty Boutique, are adorned with the signed and numbered posters from every year’s run, and the number on each poster corresponds with her age on the year she ran the race.

Even though she is not trying to win the race, each poster is a shining trophy to her.

“I’m competing against me, not other people,” Fabre said. “I do it for my health, not how I look or to win.

“What motivates me is life.”

She said that her continued health and the accomplishment she feels at the end of each race is the greatest reward she could receive.

John Dias, executive director at the United Way, noticed Fabre’s positive attitude and resolve from the beginning.

“I was impressed by Elaine’s determination to make sure that no matter what is going on in her life, she made time to attend the Bridge Run and has kept it as a fitness goal for over a decade,” Dias said. “It’s easy to find excuses to give up goals, but she hasn’t and I admire that.”

Fabre became interested in entering the race after hearing about a 50-year-old nun who decided to make herself healthy by training for 10 years to compete in a traithlon. At that time, Fabre was 40 years old and figured that if the nun could start regularly exercising at 50, so could she.

Since then, Fabre has walked five miles every day.

“Some people think that when you’re 40, you’re too old to do something about your health,” she said. “You should still challenge yourself every day. Everybody has complaints, but you just have to stay positive.”

Fabre said that when she first decided to run the race, a younger family friend told her “you have to be in shape to cross this bridge.”

Finishing the race is a way for Fabre to show all of her friends, family and neighbors that anyone can get into shape at any age if they put their mind to it and get motivated.

The mother of three continues to be an example to her children and husband and encourages them and her friends to join her in the race for her health.

“My kids are excited that they have parents who are not ailing,” she said.

The Bridge Run is the largest race over the Mississippi River in the Country. Each year, Fabre is one of over 1,000 participants. The race is also known as “Louisiana’s Altitude Challenge” because runners start below sea level and climb to heights of 442 feet at the top of the bridge’s surface – higher than the Statue of Liberty.

Fabre said she plans to walk in the event for as many years as she can.