80-year-old champion athlete says picking up ping pong later in life is the secret to her longevity

"Within just a few months of playing consistently, she began to notice a difference. "I remember when I started playing ping pong," she told Business Insider's Sarah Andersen in April, "I noticed that my reflexes were faster than they had been." Now, after more than a decade of playing and competing at the national level and earning more than 50 medals, she attributes the sport to keeping her mind sharp and engaged as she enters her 80s."

"Ping pong's speed demands full attention - the spin of the ball, the bounce off the paddle, and the angle of each return. That focus, repeated hundreds of times a day, has helped tune both Klenfner's body and mind, she said. "If I'm in the bathroom and something falls off the medicine chest, my hand is there catching it before it even registers in my head," Klenfner said."

"What's more, picking up ping pong later in life gave Klenfner a renewed sense of adventure. "The single most important thing that I've learned, and the advice that I would give to somebody who wants to pick up something new later in life, is that it's never too late to learn," she said."

Carol Klenfner began playing table tennis in her late 60s after seeing a documentary on senior athletes. Within months of practicing regularly she noticed faster reflexes and improved reaction time. More than a decade later she competes at the national level and has won over 50 medals. Daily practice hones focus on ball spin, bounce, and return angles, strengthening coordination, balance, and fine motor control. Regular physical activity and strength training support neural connections, lowering cognitive decline and frailty risk. Picking up the sport renewed her sense of adventure and reinforced that it is never too late to learn.

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