From My Profit Tutor on Unsplash.
Recently I read an article about a 99-year-old swimmer named Betty Brussel. She’s a Canadian who learned to swim at a young age. She started swimming competitively in her 70s.
In my book, I write about Olga Kotelko, a track and field champion all through her nineties.
You can watch a documentary about “elders” who compete in “Senior Olympics.”
A lot of people draw the conclusion, “Anyone can do what they did.”
That’s patently false. I’ve written about this elsewhere. There are no guarantees. Some people have allergies. Some people will start training in their 70s and die early or never make it past entry level. Let’s face it: some people are more naturally gifted than others.
The real lesson is, “There’s infinite variety among people as they get older.” If someone tells you they’re 80, they could be a frail person in a wheelchair, needing lots of help. Or they could be running marathons or collecting medals for some other sport.
Not everyone who’s past 50 is a grandma. Some of us are Childfree Cat Ladies and proud of it.
Not everyone who works out is a champion competitor. Personally, I’ve been getting comments like “At least you show up and try” since I was in my twenties. When I was a child I didn’t even try. I’ll never be good at any of the things I do. Fit, yes. Enthusiastic, yes. Good, no.
It shouldn’t be news when someone over 70 or 80 excels in sport. It shouldn’t be news when people over 70 walk around like normal people who don’t need help.
Yet if you meet ordinary people on the street, they act totally surprised. If your face says “old” and your muscles say “young,” the face wins every time. People offer help when you don’t need it. They’re advised to “honor” people over a certain age.
People in their twenties and thirties work really hard to win medals or even to get into the competition. So do people in their fifties, sixties, and seventies You could argue that it gets easier, not harder, as people age. You’re not trying to get ahead in a “day job.” You’re not caring for young children.
The real question is, what if you’re not a top competitor? What if you’re an ordinary person getting older without help? What if you’re fit and strong but everyone treats you like a china doll who breaks easily?
Betty Brussel and Olga Kotelko liked the social part of competitive matches. They got to mix and mingle with people of all ages who had something important and relevant to talk about.
Let’s stop focusing on people who did outstanding things “in spite of their age.” I’d rather focus on treating people appropriately for their fitness and activity levels, regardless of age. Someone who wins a match may have something worth saying, regardless of age.
And for someone who can’t compete, usually the lesson isn’t, “It’s never too late.” Sometimes it is too late. We can just say, “They had good genes and a good support system. They had the resources to train and develop their skill. They made the most of what they had.”
And we can say that about anyone, whether they’re 12 or 102. Achievement gets rewarded at any age. And then we can start figuring out what people without the gift of achievement can look forward to…also at any age.
