Robin Emery of Ellsworth, Maine is a pioneer in the sport of road racing, or distance running. She fell in love with the sport of running in 1967 and, fifty years later, she is still at it. When she started, women weren't allowed to race with men and there were no sports teams for girls in schools, but that was no deterrent. Robin persisted, trying a range of sports as a child from golf to football before establishing herself in the field of running. Along the way she has encouraged and inspired countless girls and women-including Maine's Olympic gold medal winning Joan Benoit Samuelson.

By Ed Rice