My PhD supervisor once told me that I should never let anyone tell me that I’m “too old, too female, or too disabled to take my sport seriously.” I think about that whenever I start to worry I’ve left it too late to get good, and love to read about other people finding their sport. Got any good links or articles to share on older strength athletes? Please drop me a comment in the form below…
I’m far from the only late starter–at every competition I go to, I see more and more women lifting, and more and more masters-age women are taking part for the first time. And it’s fantastic to see others finding the joy of their own increasing strength and power. (Though it’s normal for us to regret not discovering it before.)
I love that it’s not just more women lifting in a traditionally male-dominated sport, it’s more older women tackling big damn weights. While it’s still usually touted as a way of losing weight or building a great arse–and, with a nod to us old biddies, a way of increasing bone density and staving off osteoporosis–it’s a sport that’s accessible for people starting from scratch. You don’t have to start young. Which is just as well, given the worldwide pattern of women dropping out of sport:
Girls who don’t get into sports by age 10 have just a 10-per-cent chance of being active as an adult, and the rate of participation over 15 has dropped to record lows, according to the [Canadian] report.
With the decline in participation in sports that particularly affects girls in their adolescence, some of us spend half a lifetime without taking part, and then, when finally finding the right sport, fall headlong in love with it. Even after a long gap. The Globe and mail as a pretty good article on Women taking up sports later in life, just for the love of the game. (And the Fit is a Feminist Issue blog, the original source of this link, is a great source of articles and links asking all sorts of interesting questions about participation, empowerment, and fitness.)
I’m looking forward to the next podcast from the always wonderful crew at This is Female Powerlifting. They’ve recently recorded an episode with masters lifters–new and experienced, which should be out soon. Hurrah!
I’m hoping that Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg‘s twice weekly weights session gets a nod. 84 years old, and benching 70lbs for reps is no joke.
Justice Ginsburg does 10 pushups and she does not do the so-called ‘girl pushups
from interview with her trainer in Politico
And then, in case there was any doubt about how long you can lift, you have true wonders like body builder, personal trainer, and model, Ernestine Shepherd who had, in her words, been a “slug” until she started to get active again 56, and first took up bodybuilding at 71.
Got a story to share? Please, drop me a link or a comment below.