
Olga Kotelko: 5 Secrets from a Late-Blooming Athlete on Aging with Zest
At age 95, Olga Kotelko held more than 30 Masters track records and had won more than 750 gold medals in her age category. And she didn’t start until age 77!
Although many of these athletes started early and kept moving, others embraced athleticism in their 40s and beyond. To quote a Chinese proverb, “Be not afraid of growing slowly, be afraid only of standing still.”

At age 95, Olga Kotelko held more than 30 Masters track records and had won more than 750 gold medals in her age category. And she didn’t start until age 77!

By the time most of us reach age 50, we assume our athletic glory days are over. Not so! Here are five books that prove you can enjoy a surprising level of fitness in your fifties and well beyond.

“I could have gone faster but I didn’t want to. I’m not playing at being a champion.” A 100-year-old cyclist and two nonagenarian yoginis define what really matters.

Twelve people who found their inner athlete after age 50, including a boxer, a kayaker, marathoners, bodybuilders, and yoginis (oh my!).

Need inspiration to get off the couch? Guinness World Book just named Gladys Burrill, age 92, the Oldest Female Marathon Finisher.

Diana Nyad was once the greatest long distance swimmer in the world. Then she burned out and didn’t swim a stroke for 30 years. Read about her astounding comeback at age 60!