Im a big boxing fan , Bernard Hopkins just won the the light heavy weight world tiltle at age 48. It got me thinking we get hung up on age as a determining factor in sports perfomance. But blokes like this and the likes of Kelly slater , in our own sport Kelly Margetts 40 , i think Jamie mitchel may be around 37 , can take it right up to the younger crew. Dutsin Fletcher from Essendon i think is 38.Just goes to show age is no barrierBut hopkins is amazing to last so long in the most brutal of sports is amazing.

Ofcourse it's only a number, most triathlon ironman and women are over the age of 40.
I've ran a couple of marathons and I'd easily say majority of marathon runners are 40+

I only read yesterday that Michele bridges ( trainer on biggest loser) is 42 or something she is one of the fittest tonned women in the media today and she has only got better in the last 18months..

Age has nothing to do with ability it's all in the mind. If you want to do something and have the motivation to do it the goal is possible.

Yeah it is TT

Just the post I needed to see. Still hope for me yet?

Oh and Sue Dorries at 55yrs old and still going strong in sup and oc racing. One of the fitness ladies i know
X angie

[b]AndyR said

Age has nothing to do with ability it's all in the mind. If you want to do something and have the motivation to do it the goal is possible.

Absolutely, mind you, the 56 year old body needs a little cajoling on occasion and there is a healthy dose of not wanting to let the fading light of youthfullness get extinguished, but best of all is being fit enough to keep the endorphins happy to allay the onset of sadness that, being at the pointy end of life brings, having said that, I'm lucky I don't have to act my age....cause I keep forgetting to...

mmm! think its a little more than just numbers or all in the mind.
I'm optomistic and also realistic, the body goes through changes as we age, although I consider myself reasonably energetic and fit I have observed a slower rate of recovery from both injuries and muscle fatigue, this is not in the mind just body. Now don't get me wrong I can still flog many teenagers in a 100mtr sprint and swim further than most. It just takes longer to recover.
Now there are exceptions of course, but for the most we will slow with age and thats not want of trying. Be interesting to see how many are surfing and at what level when they hit 75-85yrs remember there just numbers.

I understand that it would take longer to recover but then it also might just mean the older you get the more effort you have to put into recovery to bounce back quicker.. Massage, ice baths, cleaner eating etc. no alcohol

Also would depend on how often you are performing such tasks. if you go paddle or surf once a week and pull up sore maybe if you did it 2 3 4 times a week the body would adapt and recover quicker.

I recently read a study about an endurance athlete 40+ that pushed his body to the limits every day for 50 days and had sport scientists do daily test on his body and he actually got stronger and fitter and develop amazing muscles memory when the white coats predicted he would faid and injure and not handle the demands.. Maybe he's one of a kind I dunno..

Just a thought or maybe it's a dream as I'm only 28 and have goals to put my body and mind through hell and back by trying some amazing endurance feats over the next 25 years

Good luck to you Andy and I hope yopu achieve your goals.
I am a regular paddler 3 - 4 times per week, 6 to 12klms per paddle on both flatwater and the ocean. I SUP surf as well whenever possible. I wouldn't describe myself as an ironman or a world beater however as I am not competitive.
My point was that things change as you get older. Also limits are placed on you such as family and career that can effect the amount of time one has to train or surf. In my opinion the fact that you are doing "something" is what matters most.
ET.

Old Tommy Hafey is a great example.
Can't remember his exact daily exersise routine but it is truly impressive from what i remember and I think he is close to 80
W

I think being active , eating the right foods and most things in moderation and a bit of luck on the health side makes the difference. Mental attitude has a lot to do with it also.

The body is certainly slower to bounce back after injury, but then again if you're fit and active you certainly recover faster than those that are not.

I spent yesterday morning chasing Riggs Napolean and Sammy Parker around the JPP time trial. The difference was that when we finished they were chatting and I collapsed on my board.

I do agree with everything said above ill be doing my best to keep ontop of the game to prolong having to slow down..

anyone watch 60minutes last night?? story about "BILL" (70 something) looking after his wife that is faiding dramatically with Dementia. she can't remember who anyone or anything is. yet He gets her up everyday looks after her, takes her to the hairdressers every friday. has a specially made bike so he can ride with her in the front and takes her out riding everyday because she just loves it. it was truly inspiring considering 60minutes is usually full of crap reporting. the thing I took most out of the story was bills attitude he is totally devoted to this women who can't even remember who he is. and he said something last night that will stay with me forever.

"while I can I will"

while he is able to he will take care of her he will and won't let anything stop him from doing that. that right there is telling me age is just a number this guy has a spirit that can't be broken

Great post as I'm at the tail end of my 40's and great to see Surfing Australia add over 50's a good reflection of guys in the sport who still want to compete.

As Dan said Goatie is the shining example (over 50) taking out the over 40's and making the semi's in the open mens at last years Aussies.

Yeah Casso is the other age killer , I watched him and Goatie battle it out in the Aussies in the over 40's .Casso also made it to the semi's in the open men. If my memory serves me correct I think both these guys almost had 3 or 4 heats straight.

In the final over the over 40's they didn't have time to change singlets after the open mens semi's , so they were judged in what they were wearing no break in between, marathon effort.

just looked at this.

i train three times a week with currumbin ck paddlers. i'm somewhere between the a team and the b team.

now i'm well, well, well on the wrong side of 40. i believe i can surf as well as i ever did. even if i took up short boarding again i would still be as good as i was, maybe even technically better.

reasons- i surfed all my life and i've been a builder/carpenter all my life so i've been reasonably fit.


back to the paddling, i'm closer to the a team if i'm not working or work has been light.


i'm closer back to the b team when i'm working hard.

my body just doesn't recover as well when i have the full on work week and as i get older it gets hard to recover- there's not doubts about. i come home tired from work and i'm not really ready for training next early morning

you also have to stretch more eat right the night before training etc etc.

age wouldn't matter so much to a certain degree if you could have the perfect training and recovery program tailor to suit you, but that's fantasy land

"age wouldn't matter so much to a certain degree if you could have the perfect training and recovery program tailor to suit you, but that's fantasy land"

I think you got that just right Lacey.
A professional athlete has just that opportunity to have the perfect training and recovery program cause they don't have to put 9+hrs aside a day for work ... That is fantasy land