BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - Baton Rouge resident and Senior Olympian, Julia "Hurricane" Hawkins, died on Tuesday, Oct. 22, at St. James Place nursing facility in Baton Rouge., according to The Advocate. She was 108 years old.

Hawkins took up competitive cycling in her 70s but achieved national fame as a runner. In 2017, at 101, Hawkins earned her nickname by becoming the oldest woman to compete in the National Senior Games 50- and 100-meter dash events, records she broke only two years later.

At 105 years old, she set a new world and U.S. record in the 100-meter race at the Louisiana Senior Games in Hammond back in 2019. She is the first woman and first American to set a Masters Track & Field World Record in the 105+ Age Division. Hawkins' time was 1:02:95.

Hawkins began running competitively in 2016 when her four children signed her up for the Louisiana Senior Games, The Advocate reports.

Born and raised in Ponchatula, she attended LSU where she met her future husband, Murray Hawkins, during freshman year. She went on to teach at LSU and lead the petroleum engineering department. She eventually left her career to raise her kids.

Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced.

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