Former Olympian Herazo will compete in Sunday’s race walk

Dean Juipe

Friday, Feb. 2, 2001 | 10:49 a.m.

Victoria Herazo participated in 13 race-walking events of various distances and significances last year, and won 11 of them.

The two-time Olympian recently moved back to Las Vegas after six months in Carson City, and she will take part in the half-marathon race walk which is part of Sunday's Las Vegas Marathon.

USA Track & Field's "Outstanding Masters Female Race Walker" for 2000 continues to be competitive and shows no signs of slowing at the age of 41.

"I've still got the drive," she said Thursday in the midst of a busy schedule that includes training, attending UNLV and working at a veterinarian's office. "I haven't given any thought to quitting, although my trainer (Jim Bentley) says I'm probably killing myself by working so hard to make up for my disappointment at the Olympic Trials."

Herazo relocated from Las Vegas to Carson City last year in an attempt to gain some benefit from altitude training. The idea was to sharpen up for the Olympic Trials race walk in Sacramento, but Herazo failed to qualify for the United States Olympic team when the Trials corresponded with her suffering a pinched nerve in her hip, as well as a herniated disc (that had required earlier surgery).

"I'd have been better off staying in Las Vegas," she said of her stint in Northern Nevada. "I didn't do well at the Trials ... it was the worst I'd ever done ... and I don't think I got much out of the altitude training."

Pursuing a degree in kinesiology at UNLV, Herazo is hopeful of becoming a physical therapist or athletic trainer. She's looking at this weekend's race "as a good workout and something I need after not being in a long race like that for a while."

She intends to take part in approximately 10 races this year and has targeted three special events: the Masters Indoors at Boston in March, where she is the defending champion; the World Masters in Australia; and the U.S. National Masters.