The Denver Post ran an article a few weeks back about endurance athletes over the age of 40 who are continuing to not only compete in their selected sports, but excel in them as well.
The article spotlights several top athletes, all from Colorado, who are still competing at top form in a variety of endurance sports. For example, Marshall Ulrich is a 56 year old ultrarunner, who recently competed in the Badwater Ultramarathon, finishing strongly despite getting off to a rough start.
Other examples of amazing athletes in the article include Bernie Boettcher, who at the age of 45 has a string of 267 races over 260 consecutive weeks, winning 115 of those, or Diane Van Deren, age 47, who has over come brain damage, to become one of the most celebrated female ultrarunners in the country. She runs now to raise awareness of brain injuries, and ways of overcoming those afflictions. Adventure racer Mike Kloser also gets a nod for his unbelievable success. At the age of 47, Kloser got his start racing mountain bikes back in the mid-80’s, but is now the most decorated adventure racer in the World, and one of the top all around athletes in outdoor sports.
The one thing that I noticed in all of these athletes have in common, is a passion to not only compete, but to also win. These athletes are training smarter, and using their years of experience to their advantage. They know what it takes to perform at a high level, and aren’t going to be rattled out on the course. For them, their age is just a number, but those years bring a wisdom that can’t be overcome with just athletic skill on it’s own.
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I have often thought that ‘endurance’ is so much more than ‘fitness’…
This kind of supports that musing, as to how these older athletes have also developed an endurance of mind and spirit along with their body…
DSD
Very well put DSD. These athletes are not only fit beyond what a normal person could ever imagine, they are also smart, wise, and have the heart of a champion. No clock, meter, or gauge can ever measure that heart.