Reinventing oneself is one thing.

It’s another when it’s Lee Saltonstall.

The 65-year-old has gone from life on the road as a professional model and an ice skater to life on the road — and off-road — as an athlete.

The combination of discipline and competitive drive has led to age-group successes in everything from marathons, half marathons and triathlons. But Saltonstall’s love for mud has her as the favorite to win her age-group at Sunday’s fifth XTERRA Trail Run World Championship.

Saltonstall is the oldest female in the field for the 21-kilometer race, one of three distances offered at Kualoa Ranch for some 2,000 runners. She has won the 60-64 age group three of the past four years; she’s excited about "aging up" from the senior category to the masters.

"I like the sound of that, masters," Saltonstall said. "My goal is to do well in this new age group.

"I love Kualoa, it’s phenomenal. Not only is it majestically beautiful but it’s technically challenging. Even the people not from Hawaii feel the spirit about the valley and the mountains. There’s a mana there that just embraces you."

Much the same as Saltonstall has embraced her life after her husband, George Barnett, died a few years ago. It was while being his caregiver that Saltonstall found an outlet in running, particularly on the trails of Tantalus.

After Barnett’s death, "I knew I had to find something to do, how to reinvent myself," Saltonstall said. "I read about the XTERRA race they were introducing and thought, ‘How fun. I think I’ll try it.’

"I had always loved sports, was active growing up with skating, tennis, swimming. I started running for the pleasure of it about seven years ago. It gave me a new zest for life."

Few who knew her during Fashion Week shows in New York and Paris or on photo shoots for Vogue magazine would recognize Saltonstall’s reincarnation.

"I think I’ve come a long way," she said. "I actually don’t mind getting dirty, I love it when it rains. My first Honolulu (Marathon) was the one where it poured for the first two hours. I was in seventh heaven."

Saltonstall, who first moved to Hawaii in 1967, also has added more liquid to her life. She’s recently discovered stand-up paddling and enjoys cruising the waters off Waikiki and Magic Island.

"I’ve done three races so far and I love it," she said. "There’s days when I’m out there cruising and there will be pods of dolphins. I get to jump in and play with them.

"Being on the paddleboard … it’s as close as I’ll ever get to walking on water. It is so spiritual being on the water."

Currently, running is her strongest sport. This year alone, Saltonstall won her age group at the Kauai Marathon, the Val Nolasco Half Marathon, the Gunstock Trails Half Marathon and the Freedom Fest Trail Run.

Sunday’s 21K (13.1-miles) is how Saltonstall is "tapering" for the Honolulu Marathon on Dec. 9. Her PR for a marathon is around 4 hours and 30 minutes but "I don’t have a goal in mind for Honolulu other than to finish strong and break five hours," she said. "Right now, I’m concentrating on XTERRA. It’s so beautiful that it’s hard not to stop along the way and appreciate the views. It’s a sacred place and I feel privileged being able to run there."

NOTES

Four-time defending world champion Max King will not return to attempt a fifth victory, remaining in Oregon with his wife for the birth of their second child. Among those expected to challenge for the title are former Brigham Young-Hawaii cross country runner Tomas Rivers Puzey, his brother Jacob, and 2010 runner-up Will Christian, who finished just 80 seconds behind King, the closest of any competitor on the Kualoa course.

The women’s division also will have a new winner as defending champion Morgan Arritola is sidelined with an injury. Among the contenders are Hawaii Pacific’s Kim Kuehnert, the 2010 runner-up; Melanie McQuaid, a three-time winner of the XTERRA World Championship Triathlon; and Lucy Smith, last year’s runner-up at Kualoa.

REC CENTER

Morocco-Hawaii SUP challenge Saturday

Stand-up paddleboarders from Morocco will take on Team Hawaii in Saturday’s inaugural Morocco vs. Hawaii SUP Challenge at the Hilton Hawaiian Village’s Duke Kahanamoku Lagoon.

The event is part of the "His Majesty King Mohammed VI Week" festivities in Waikiki. The event runs from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. with local celebrities joining Hawaii pro stand-up paddle boards on Team Hawaii.

MMA world title for Berger-Mata‘afa

Samalia Berger-Mata‘afa won the female amateur MMA World Championship title at the Senior World Grappling, Pankration & Amateur MMA World Championships in Krakow, Poland, earlier this month.

Berger-Mata‘afa, the lone representative for Team American Samoa, won the 71kg weight class. It was the first title for a female or a male representing the Oceania Region, which includes Australia, New Zealand, Micronesia and other Pacific islands.

The FILA-sanction competition featured 23 countries.

Berger-Mata‘afa has been selected to represent American Samoa in the FILA North-American Invitational, part of the fourth World MMA Expo in New York Feb. 15-17.

Big-wave surfers at Jaws contest

Twenty-one of the world’s top big-wave surfers — including Hawaii’s John John Florence, Ian Walsh, Dave Wassel and Kala Alexander — will compete in the inaugural "Red Bull Jaws, Paddle at Pe‘ahi" off the legendary break off Maui.

The holding period begins Dec. 7 and runs through March 15, with organizers deciding on the ideal day when conditions are between 30 and 50 feet with a NNW swell and light winds.

The event’s opening ceremony is Dec. 7. Competitors in the field are being announced individually on the website daily through Dec. 7.

» redbullusa.com/jaws.

Youth bicycle rodeo in Waimanalo

The Hawaii Bicycling League is holding a free bike rodeo for youth in grades 3 through 6 on Dec. 8 at Blanche Pope Elementary School

One-hour rodeos are at 9, 10 and 11 a.m. Seventy-five helmets will be given away on a first-come, first-served basis. Bikes will also be provided, or participants can bring their own.

» hbl.org/bikerodeos.

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