By Julie E 
Photo Credit (Greety image)
1: Diana Nyad
The first person to successfully swim from Cuba to Florida without a shark cage was 63-year-old Nyad in 2013. Her incredible resolve is demonstrated by the accomplishment. Thirty-five years after her first attempt, this was her fifth. The severe obstacles on the course had prevented her from completing her four prior attempts. Keeping on course, asthma episodes, bad weather, jellyfish stings, dehydration, hypothermia, and tiredness were among the risks. Nearly 53 hours after leaving Havana, she eventually made it to shore and informed reporters, “I got three messages.” The first is that we must never, ever give up. The second is that it is never too late to follow your ambitions. Three is that, despite appearances, this is a team sport.
She is the holder of multiple records for various other swimming feats, such as the standing distance record for swimming without a wetsuit nonstop. Along with numerous newspaper and magazine articles, Nyad is the author of four books. She founded BravaBody, a firm that gives over-40-year-old women internet workout instruction, with her closest friend. She uses fitness and her will to accomplish seemingly unachievable goals as a way to release her pent-up anger and overcome the trauma of being sexually abused as a child. She is an inspiration to everyone battling inner demons because of how bravely and strong she overcame her experience.
2: Yuchiro Miura
Thirty-three years before his first summit climb, in 1970, Miura became the first person to ski on Everest. Beginning at South Col, he made a nearly 4,200-foot vertical descent. Based on this achievement, “The Man Who Skied Down Everest” became the first sports film to win the Academy Award for Best Documentary. Miura became the oldest person to reach the peak of Mount Everest in 2013 at the age of 80. In spite of fighting diabetes, having three heart surgeries, and recuperating from a difficult operation to repair his damaged pelvis in the ten years between the summit attempts, he smashed his own world record, which he had achieved in 2003. Doctors warned him that he might not be able to walk again after his pelvic surgery.
Still, he continued, reestablishing his exercise regimen until he felt prepared to take on the penultimate peak once more. After scaling Everest, Miura remarked, “As I went down, I felt the probability I would die was 100 percent — 120 percent, even.” He reached his objective, even though it required an airlift from the Advanced Base Camp, which is located at 6500 meters, as opposed to the Base Camp, which is located at 5364 meters. After his triumph, he said, “At this age, I had a fantasy of climbing Everest. Never give up on your dreams. Dreams come true. Even after his cardiac arrhythmia required yet another heart operation, Miura, who is 90 years old, is still training for challenging skiing descents and a possible fourth attempt at climbing Everest.
3: Sister Madonna Buder
At the age of 23, Sister Madonna Buder Budder joined the convent of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd. She left the congregation in 1970 to form a brand-new, unconventional Sisterhood that allowed her to follow her own religious beliefs and way of life. Encouraged by a Catholic priest, she began jogging at the age of 48, although she didn’t compete in her first race until 1977. She then joined a jogging group and became aware of the Ironman race held in Hawaii. “It’s amazing how God leads you down his little pathway and all you have to do is say, ‘Yes, I’ll try it,’ and then all these doors and windows get opened if you follow the lead of the Shepherd,” the speaker says in reference to her source of inspiration. She participated in her first triathlon at the age of 52, and she was immediately hooked. She continued to train on her nephew’s bike until she was prepared for a full Ironman. At 75 years old, she finished the competition in Hawaii in 2005, receiving the moniker “Iron Nun.” Her completion of the infamous event, which involves of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride, and a 26.2-mile run, makes her the oldest woman to date.
She broke her own record the year following her first triathlon, narrowly missing the 17-hour cutoff. By now, she figures she’s finished around 360 triathlons. She was featured in a 2016 Nike commercial, inducted into the USA Triathlon Hall of Fame in 2014, and has traveled the globe sharing her motivational tale. She claims that the following three lessons are the most crucial ones she has learned thus far: “What matters is not what you say, but what you do; don’t worry about your age, but rather how old you feel; and have patience—patience is one of my worst enemies, and I’m still working on improving it so that I can take the time to stop and smell the roses.”
4: Lynch, Tao Porchon
Porchon-Lynch was raised by her uncle in Pondicherry, India, when her mother passed away after childbirth. When she was twelve, she traveled with Mahatma Gandhi for a few weeks along with her uncle. She toured Europe as a young dancer with a team that entertained soldiers during World War II before moving to Hollywood and performing with MGM. Having established the Westchester Institute of Yoga in 1982, she has over 70 years of experience as a yoga practitioner and over 45 years of teaching experience. At 98 years old, Porchon-Lynch became the world’s oldest yoga instructor last year, earning a place in the Guinness Book of Records. In Hartsdale, New York, she leads a 90-minute yoga practice that blends many techniques. She always exhibits proper alignment, however she finds it difficult to reach the ideal positions on her right side following three hip replacements. She can still hold even the trickiest and most difficult yoga poses.
She exudes self-assurance in every aspect of her existence. It’s common to see her wearing heels, which she says raise her consciousness. In addition to driving herself about, she participates in ballroom dancing contests, hosts yoga seminars all over the world, leads national sports campaigns, and is the author of the critically acclaimed book Dancing Light: The Spiritual Side of Being Through the Eyes of a Modern Yoga Master. Porchon-Lynch has helped numerous individuals all over the world realize their spiritual potential. What then is her secret to such enduring happiness? “Every morning I wake up saying this is going to be the best day of my life— and it is,” the woman claims. She doesn’t judge others, she never dwells on the negative things that might or might not happen, and she always wakes up smiling. Anybody can lead a happy life with the aid of these methods. Her motto, “There is Nothing You Cannot Do,” should be heeded no matter your age.
5 Harriette Thompson .
When Thompson, at 92 years old, crossed the finish line of the Rock’n’Roll San Diego Marathon on May 31, 2015, she became the oldest woman to ever finish a marathon. With a time of 7:07:42 the year before, she had broken the world record for the 90–94 age group by more than two hours. She is an amazing woman in every way: a concert pianist, a grandmother of ten, and a cancer survivor. She had lost her 67-year spouse to cancer earlier in 2015, and she had just finished radiation treatment for squamous cell carcinoma on her legs when she participated in the race. Three days before the marathon, Thompson, who has competed in the San Diego race sixteen times since 1999, expressed uncertainty about her chances, stating, “I’ll be the most surprised person if I finish it.” I’m hoping to!
She finished the distance in little under 17 minutes per mile on average by combining walking and jogging. She was taken aback by the recognition and attention her victory brought, but she was glad to encourage her friends to keep pursuing their dreams. “I think if I can do it, anybody can do it,” she remarked, adding that she had never been trained to run. However, I also find it to be really energizing. When I’m done, I feel like a million dollars.