As we celebrate Older Americans Month, it is interesting to know that people can achieve great things even after the age of fifty. This post celebrates some of the men and women who accomplished goals later in life.
Sports:
Jim Arrington, who recently turned 85 in the beginning of September, is the world’s oldest professional bodybuilder in the Guinness Book of World Records. Arrington, who has been bodybuilding for the past 70 years, first set the record in 2015 and has plans to break it again in the future.
When Arrington was a kid, he was nicknamed “Skinny Bones”, but he found a book of bodybuilders when he was 13 and used it as inspiration to get fit. Arrington immediately fell in love with fitness and shows no signs of slowing down. Over the years, he has competed in 62 bodybuilding competitions and has won 16.
Ernestine Shepherd holds the Guinness World Record for being the Oldest Female Bodybuilder at age 81. Shepherd first got the idea to start bodybuilding from her sister when they were both 56. Her sister encouraged her to enjoy the competitive side of fitness and they continued to workout together.
The oldest American football player is Michael C. Lynch (USA, b. 21 October 1949), who was 68 years old when he played a regular season for semi-professional team, Southwest Florida Gladiators, on 31 March 2018. Michael C. Lynch scored for the Southwest Florida Gladiators semi-professional American football team on 31 March 2018
Education:
Genevie Kocourek had always wanted to get into medicine but did not pursue her dream for financial reasons. Kocourek ended up working in Information Technology (IT) and when she was nearly in her 50s decided she wanted to make a career change. Initially, Kocourek thought of becoming a nurse, but her husband suggested that she should apply to medical school instead.
Kocourek attended the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison and graduated in 2008 at 53.
Politics:
Donald Trump, the 45th President of the United States, is currently the oldest U.S. President ever to enter office – Trump was 70 years old at the time of his inauguration. Trump was born in Queens, New York and is the fourth of five children born to Frederick C. and Mary MacLeod Trump. Prior to being elected as the 45th President of the United States, Trump was best known for being a billionaire real estate mogul and the star of the reality TV series The Apprentice and its spin off The Celebrity Apprentice.
Information gathered from:
Oldest.org
Guinessworldrecords.com