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<\/a>John Goodenough<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n There’s been a lot written lately about the age of our President.\u00a0 “Too old to run”<\/strong> is the prevailing theme. They are wrong – age has less to do with it than cognitive ability.\u00a0 I have some insight and experience with this issue and what I’ve learned is that age cannot be generalized.\u00a0 I’m tired of hearing age 81 referred to as “elderly”, as if that means that all people of that age are ready for “the home”.\u00a0 There are people in their 80’s and 90’s who can run circles around people of any age<\/strong>.\u00a0 And generally, they possess common sense – something that is a rare commodity these days.\u00a0 \u00a0As recently as 2019 the Nobel Prize for chemistry was awarded to John B. Goodenough, (who certainly was) for his work on lithium batteries.\u00a0 He was 97! Is he an outlier?\u00a0 Of course.\u00a0 But then again, so are most Nobel Prize winners. He died last year at age 100, still working to improve the all-solid-state battery.<\/p>\n Over the next few weeks the Olympics will showcase young people at the peak of their physical strength and endurance.\u00a0 They are the very antithesis<\/strong> of “too old”, although Simone Biles, at age 27, is jokingly referred to as the “grandma” on the gymnastics team.\u00a0 But to prove that age is just a number<\/strong>, I went in search of octogenarians who exhibit that same Olympian standard of excellence. I didn’t have to look far.\u00a0 Here are just a few:<\/p>\n \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 David Blaylock<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n David Blaylock<\/strong> – age 80 – won the USA Track and Field 100-mile Championships in his age group in a time of in a time of 29 hours, 47 minutes and 29 seconds.\u00a0 I’m assuming that did not include any time for a nap.\u00a0 His closest competitor, “Fast Eddie” Rousseau, of Minnesota, is 83.\u00a0 Blaylock attributes his endurance to mental toughness.<\/p>\n Flo Meiler<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n Florence \u201cFlo\u201d Meiler<\/strong> – in 2022, at the age of 87, Meiler broke two American records in the High Jump and the Hurdles events at the USA Track and Field Masters Indoor Championships.\u00a0 Meiler was not always an athlete, in fact, she admits that she used to indulge in French fries on a regular basis.\u00a0 But at age 60 she began to work out and found her passion.\u00a0 When asked how she works out six days a week and competes in events, she says, “You can do whatever you set your mind to.”<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Johanna Quaas<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n Johana Quaas –<\/strong> has been certified as the world’s oldest gymnast.\u00a0 Born in 1925, Johanna started in gymnastics at the age of 9, but then quit after WWII. She picked up gymnastics again at the age of 57.<\/strong> At the young age of 91, she impressed the crowds at Berlin with a stunning performance and flawless moves. In her words, \u201cIf you\u2019re fit, it is easier to master life.\u201d I think she\u2019s right.<\/p>\n Gladys Burrill<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n Gladys Burrill<\/strong> is sadly no longer with us.\u00a0 She died in 2019 at the age of 100, but she is worth mentioning because she ran her first marathon at the age of 86<\/strong> and then went on to complete 5 more marathons. At the young age of 92, she became the oldest woman to run the Honolulu Marathon. She credited her success to eating healthy and exercising.\u00a0 Shoot – I’m out of breath walking from the bedroom to the kitchen!<\/p>\n There are many more examples I could cite, but you get the point.\u00a0 In reading about these master athletes I noticed one common trait – mental toughness.<\/strong>\u00a0 I think all of them believe that despite their age, they can do anything.\u00a0 The narrative about age needs to shift, so we assess cognitive ability and dispose of the age-old canard that someone is “too old” to be successful in their endeavors. As for me, I plan on eating cake until a ripe old age.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Suzanne Sparrow Watson There’s been a lot written lately about the age of our President.\u00a0 “Too old to run” is the prevailing theme. They are wrong – age has less to do with it than cognitive ability.\u00a0 I have … read more![\"\"](\"https:\/\/fromabirdseyeview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/David-Blaylock-300x200.jpeg\")
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<\/a>The Over-80 US Hockey Team<\/strong> – The U.S. men’s team won the Canada 150 Cup tournament in February of this year.\u00a0 The team, led by 84-year-old coach Ken McKinnon only came together in the fall of 2023.\u00a0 McKinnon loves to compete and encourages other older athletes to get in the game.\u00a0 He says, “You can challenge yourself to get better and keep up for a number of years. It takes effort to go out there and do it, but once you get out there, you\u2019ll have fun.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/fromabirdseyeview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Gladys-Burrill-300x300.webp\")
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