When Sandra Folzer crossed the finish line at November's Rothman 8K race, she didn't just finish -- she made history. The 85-year-old Chestnut Hill resident completed the course in 50 minutes, shattering the world record for her age group by five minutes and placing in the top quarter of all women participants.

Breaking records has become a habit for Folzer. This September, she obliterated the American record for her age group in the USA Track & Field Masters 12-Kilometer Championship, finishing in 1:24:42 - a full half-hour faster than the previous record of 1:59:49.

"It is very important for aging folks to stay active," Folzer said. "I have a friend who says I am like the Energizer Bunny."

That nickname fits perfectly. Folzer's weekly training schedule would exhaust most 40-year-olds: five miles every Tuesday, four to five miles every Thursday in the Wissahickon, and 10 miles every Saturday with the Shawmont Running Group, starting at Rex Avenue. She's a member of the Greater Philadelphia Track Club and consistently the oldest participant in every race she enters. On non-running days, she practices yoga, and she plays tennis biweekly.

Her athletic achievements become even more remarkable considering she's a 28-year breast cancer survivor. After undergoing a double mastectomy and grueling chemotherapy nearly three decades ago, she went on to win the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure's survivor category an astounding 10 times. She participates in the Broad Street Run annually, inspiring runners of all ages.

Beyond breaking records, Folzer has a new mission: eliminating plastic water bottles from local races. "Only about 7% are actually recycled," she said. "There are about 40,000 to 45,000 runners in the Broad Street Run. I want to avoid having 100,000 plastic bottles."

Her environmental activism extends beyond racing. She writes regular columns for the Weavers Way Environment Committee that have earned high praise. "Sandra Folzer and her Shuttle columns have always represented the best of the Co-op," said Martha Fuller of Weavers Way Co-op. "She is engaged and engaging, smart, committed, passionate about the environment and thoughtful. Plus, she's an excellent writer... Her column is the first article I look for in every issue."

According to her daughter Amma Napier, who lives six doors down, Folzer's community service extends far beyond environmental advocacy. "She is also a poll worker and bakes cookies for a local church shelter, to name just a few of her efforts," Napier said.

Folzer's path to becoming an octogenarian athlete and activist began in Evanston, Illinois, where she was born. After studying at Carlton College and the University of Chicago, she taught in Ghana for two years - an experience that inspired her to name her first daughter Amma, after the Ghanaian tradition of naming girls born on Saturday. "I had an 18-year-old midwife who helped me," Folzer recalled.

In 1965, she moved to Philadelphia with her then-husband Rod Napier. She earned both her master's degree in 1970 and PhD in 1973 in PsychoEducational Processes from Temple University's Department of Education, followed by post-doctorate studies with cognitive behavioral therapy pioneer Dr. Aaron Beck at the University of Pennsylvania.

Her 30-year career as a faculty member at Community College of Philadelphia ran parallel to raising three daughters with Napier during their 18-year marriage. Today, two daughters live locally - Amma in Chestnut Hill, and Victoria, who recently returned from 10 years in Brazil, also in Chestnut Hill. Her third daughter Laura, whose husband Doug Claybourne was an assistant producer on Francis Ford Coppola's "Apocalypse Now," is moving to Canada.

A licensed psychologist, Folzer literally wrote the book on staying active, publishing "Don't Just Sit There! Steps to Stay Healthy Even When Seated" in 2019. She's been a Chestnut Hill resident for 12 years, previously living in Erdenheim, Flourtown and Wyncote.

For the past 35 years, she's shared her life with John Dulik, a pianist. "We are both former Catholics," she noted.

According to cardiology.org, starting in one's mid- to late-30s, the heart becomes less efficient at pumping, and blood vessels lose elasticity. Muscles weaken, especially without exercise. But with continued training, these effects can be significantly minimized - something Folzer proves every time she laces up her running shoes.

Now, she's focused on recruiting volunteers to replace plastic water bottles with cups at race finish lines. "I was told if I can find enough volunteers to give out cups of water at the end, then they will do away with plastic bottles," she said. "I am dedicated to making that happen."

For more information about volunteering at races, contact Len Lear at lenlear@chestnuthilllocal.com