80-year-old Sam Kirton is oldest participant in 9/11 Heroes Run on DI
“Your health is your wealth” is a motto Retired USN Master Chief Sam Kirton lives by.
At 80 years of age, Kirton will be the oldest participant running in the Daniel Island 9/11 Heroes Run on Saturday, Sept. 7. The 9/11 Heroes Run honors those who lost their lives during 9/11, their families, the military, and first responders.
Kirton has been busy practicing for the 5K race. To make sure he stays healthy, Kirton always wears a heart monitor when he runs.
“My heart monitor is my speed limit,” he said.
Kirton attributes his good health to his genes and lifestyle.
“You can have good genes but if you sit around all day it doesn’t matter how good your genes are. You have to stay active,” explained Kirton.
The octogenarian says age shouldn’t deter anyone from participating in the race.
“Don’t stop,” he continued. “You’re only as old as you feel…If you can’t run then walk.”
Kirton says he runs to set a good example for others to stay healthy. But mostly he does it to pay tribute to those who lost their lives on September 11 and for the survivors who still suffer from the effects of the terrorist attacks.
When Kirton runs he wears a pair of Air Force shorts and a U.S. Navy shirt in honor of Joint Base Charleston. In last year’s race, Kirton wore a picture of the late Republican Senator John McCain on the back of his shirt. He has a special connection to McCain - they are both survivors of a deadly disaster on board the Aircraft Carrier USS Forrestal. During the Vietnam War on July 27,1967, a fire broke out on board after an electrical malfunction caused a Zuni rocket to discharge. This caused a chain reaction of explosions that killed 134 sailors and injured 161 of Kirton’s shipmates.
Kirton served over 22 years in the Navy before retiring to spend more time with his family. After his naval career he worked at Joint Base Charleston Air Base (JBCAB) as a civilian, working in the heating, venting and air conditioning industry. Kirton has done work at several Daniel Island establishments, including Wasabi and the Daniel Island Club. He currently mentors young military members at the JBCAB.
This will be Kirton’s fourth year participating in the 9/11 Heroes Run on Daniel Island and he has a lot of memorable moments from each of the past three races. In his first race, at the age of 77, Kirton finished a respectable 503 out of a 1,000 runners. Last year, he got a special surprise when people on the sidelines started waving a dozen flags over his head as he approached the finish line.
Kirton has advice for all race participants.
“I try to run at 100 percent and encourage everyone else to give 100 percent, because remember -the firefighters, policemen, the first responders all gave over 100 percent.”