82-year-old grad’s goal? To run a marathon by age 90

Ann Steylen-624W x 410H

Ann Steylen ’71 pursued her dream of a higher education, while raising six young children. They followed her lead and are all university graduates. “Thank you, McMaster, for making it possible,” says Steylen.


When Ann Steylen graduated from McMaster in 1971, she had more than the usual reason to celebrate.

“Graduation was very special with my children there,” says Steylen, who was a single mother with six children, aged five to 14.

She had already taken most of her courses at night, when she enrolled full-time in 1970. With eight courses left to complete her degree, she majored in geography and math. “I knew I would have to support my family. McMaster gave me that chance,” says Steylen, who went on to a successful teaching career.

“I really enjoyed my time at Mac. It was an excuse to follow my own ambition,” she recalls. Every day, she would drive to campus from Beamsville, after leaving written instructions at home. Her children learned how to cook, but – not too surprisingly – nobody liked to wash dishes. At night, Steylen would do her homework while the kids were doing theirs.

On campus, the other students accepted her as one of them, she recalls. “But I never told them I had six children at home!”

While at Mac, Steylen received a bursary funded by Procter & Gamble. “McMaster was so kind to me. I want to help other students in return,” says Steylen, who makes sure to donate to her alma mater every year.

“If everybody gives a little bit, it adds up.”

Now retired as a teacher, Steylen runs an organic farm, selling eggs and hand-made chocolates. A youthful 82, she joined one of her daughters over the Thanksgiving weekend to run in her second half-marathon.

“I’m not fast. I just plod along,” she is quick to point out. Clearly no stranger to tackling challenges, she believes that when you get older, “that’s the time to start pushing yourself.” Her advice, though, is to run where the air is healthy.

Her goal is to run a marathon by the time she’s 90. “If you don’t have a dream, you won’t have a dream come true.”

Ann running her half-marathon-400W x 444H

To read other great memories of Mac, have a look at our cover story in the fall issue of the McMaster Times alumni magazine.

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