MARATHONER, 67
Why she's interesting: Rice runs laps around her competition. She has repeatedly won her division in the Boston Marathon, holds a U.S. record with a 3:21.47 finish at age 66 during Utah's St. George Marathon and reached a milestone in 2015 by completing her 100th marathon. Her next goal? Chase a world record at age 70.
Competitive Streak: Rice recently logged her 103rd marathon and has tackled courses throughout the world, including the Great Wall of China, Reykjavik, Iceland, and Honolulu, Hawaii. She estimates she's run nearly 1,000 races at distances from 5K to 26.2 miles. "I still want to win. I was always a little competitive." She's also taken top honors in downhill skiing and won Rookie of the Year after selling 27 homes in her first year as a real estate agent.
Late Bloomer: A three-week trip to Seoul, South Korea, in 1983 to visit her extended family included plenty of eating — and fueled the start of her 30-year passion for running. "They're just like Italians. Even when we weren't hungry we had to eat to be polite." The following year, she qualified for the Boston Marathon. "I guess I had it in me and I never knew."
Boston Strong: Although Rice crossed the finish line about an hour before the explosions that ravaged the Boston Marathon in 2013, she recalls the panic that spread quickly in the vicinity. "We didn't know what was going on. The feeling was like someone was coming with a machine gun." The following year Rice returned, undeterred. "People asked me, 'Aren't you afraid to go?' I said no. It could happen anywhere. Anywhere, any time. That doesn't stop me."
Run Club: Several years ago her youngest son — in his early 30s at the time — decided to run a marathon. "I'm putting on my heels to go to work, and he can hardly go up and down the stairs. They think I'm crazy, but I don't expect them to do what I do. They'll get hurt."
Millennium Miles: Ask Rice to name her favorite race, and you're likely to get a torrent of stories from the past 30 years. But New Zealand's Millennium Marathon was a standout. "It's usually the end of January, but that year they had it January 1 — the first marathon in the millennium, because they're a day ahead of us."
Family Matters: Rice emigrated from Korea to Mentor at 19. She had two sons of her own and is now a grandmother to two girls. "I live for [my] grandkids. I tell them, 'Remember, if momma says no, you can always call grandma.' "
