I am fully of admiration for older people who refuse to be defined or limited by their age; who refuse to view life as some sort of terrible burden. All those senior citizens who are part of cycling groups, who go on treks with teens, who decide to put their life savings to good use and see the world? I love them! I want to be them when I am older! So when I heard about Man Kaur, the centenarian who won a gold medal in athletics at the World Masters Athletics Competition, I wanted to stand up and cheer!
Firstly, I am ashamed to admit that I did not know an athletic competition such as this existed. The World Masters (Veterans) Outdoor Athletics Championships are currently underway in Malaga Spain. Athletes over the age of 35 compete in various track and field events in various age categories.
The biannual event attracts people who have been athletes earlier as well as those who took up athletics later in life. Some hitherto untapped talent can come to the fore in these events, records are made and broken too!
These are individuals for whom age is just a number. They refuse to be cowed by life; to stop doing things simply because society says they are too old to do it. They make life happen for themselves!
Nike’s epic tagline gets a whole new meaning as you watch this indefatigable geriatric plod determinedly on towards the finish line. This video from an event last year featured a 101 year old athlete who literally left all the competition standing!
Most people cannot even dream of living that long; much less a life so full of vim and vigour that you literally run a race and win a gold medal! Man Kaur is 102 years old and the sporty granny proves the old adage old is gold!
Milind Soman delighted countless female hearts in his youth and continues to do so now by participating in various marathon events. His tweet celebrates the hundred + granny from Patiala and her sheer grit and determination.
Her 70+ son is an athlete who had already participated in veteran athletic competition. She saw no reason why she couldn’t do the same, so she started training at age 93. And she has some pretty good speeds to her credit! She has osteoporosis as can be expected from someone her age. But none of this stops her. A gold well earned, wouldn’t you say?
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