https://www.mcall.com/2024/06/29/pa-grandmother-makes-u-s-olympic-team-in-race-walking/. Actually a good runner, but usatf funding can go to other places…
If there’s nobody better, then why not? Fingers crossed for her.
If anything, hype around her age & fitness level can only do good to US (& global) spectators. Maybe people, because of her, will move their fat asses and start exercising for health & longevity.
If there’s nobody better, then why not? Fingers crossed for her.
If anything, hype around her age & fitness level can only do good to US (& global) spectators. Maybe people, because of her, will move their fat asses and start exercising for health & longevity.
The disparity of U.S. population around that age is remarkable. You have those like this athlete who might as well be 20 year olds in most aspects of life. Then, all too frequently seen in electric carts at Walmart, those who are in life’s endgame…might as well be 90.
Thanks for sharing your perspective. I’m not sure if I should comment on that…
Back to that 58yo athlete - funding her probably makes more good than funding another random athlete - she’ll be in news, giving interviews etc. giving her a platform to share her experience and (different) perspective, ideally being an inspiration.
Good for her.
I’m a nurse, and I happen to be just a little younger than the lady featured. I spent a little time working in a hospital taking care of the average patient, those are people with congestive heart failure, COPD, diabetes, etc. One thing I have concluded is that the 50s is when the body’s resilience begins to fatigue. I saw a lot of people who have done a lot of damage to themselves over the years.
The body is often capable of repairing harm done from poor diet, poor lifestyle choices and just average genetics. But the 50s seems to be when the accumulated damage begins to overwhelm the body’s ability to heal itself. The 50s, then the 60s and progressively as we age, that’s when we see more and more people with diabetic complications or cardiac and/or respiratory issues.
But, in my experience, the better care you take of yourself earlier one, the longer you can put off those damaging effects of age, and the more resilient your body is naturally.
I have often explained to people why fitness is so important to me. I don’t care if I die when I’m 80. But when I do, I want it to be doing something I love, not stuck in an electric scooter sucking on oxygen just to keep me alive.
As a reference to you, US citizens, from Europe… Switzerland is exceptional, every Sunday you see >80yo people going for post-lunch 1-2h hike with 15% gradients. I regularly swim in my lane, while a group of 60-80yo are doing some water dancing with aqua aerobics etc. It’s not uncommon to see >60yo doing Alpine passes.
I have never seen anybody with an electric scooter, who wasn’t physically impaired. And I mean the “physically impaired†in an old school way - somebody who didn’t have both legs or similar.
Same applies for German and Poland, where I also lived. Never been to US 
https://www.mcall.com/...eam-in-race-walking/. Actually a good runner, but usatf funding can go to other places…
She must have qualified using a pair of evil carbon shoes…
She made the podium, but she’s not going to the Olympics because she doesn’t have the standard. She posted the following in the masters track and field Facebook group. But good for her for being on the podium. I think she also ran the 800 at the masters 800 in Eugene last weekend.
—-> Although I made the podium, I don’t have the Olympic standard, so I will not be going to Paris. I never expected to be close to the standard.
Yes misleading title for sure…But good on her for staying in shape and crushing her old sport…
She made the podium, but she’s not going to the Olympics because she doesn’t have the standard. She posted the following in the masters track and field Facebook group. But good for her for being on the podium. I think she also ran the 800 at the masters 800 in Eugene last weekend.
—-> Although I made the podium, I don’t have the Olympic standard, so I will not be going to Paris. I never expected to be close to the standard.
I thought the way it worked if if you got the win in your country and did not make the Olympic standard, if you are in the top 50% of the July 1 2023 to June 30 2024 IAAF ranking in your event, you can still make Olympic team. Is she in the top 50% of performances globally in the trailing 12 months from today?
No, not even close. I don’t see any points for her prior to the Trials. In fact, the US has no racewalkers at all who qualified for the Paris Olympics