At 80, I broke the world record as the oldest woman to finish the Ironman World Championship. Here's how I prepared.
Briefly

At 80, I broke the world record as the oldest woman to finish the Ironman World Championship. Here's how I prepared.
"As a so-called octogenarian, I was excited to enter the 80- to 84-year-old age category in the famous Kona Ironman World Championship in Hawaii. There were no other women taking part in that category, but my competitor was the clock because you have to complete the course in under 17 hours. When I crossed the finish line in 16 hours, 45 minutes, and 26 seconds, I set a record as the oldest female to finish the biggest, full-distance triathlon event in the world."
"The best thing about the honor is making my family proud. It was the first thing my daughter, Amy, 50, said to me when we hugged after the race. I've always been interested in competitive sports, but I was in school decades before Title XI was passed in 1972. Back then, the options were limited, and many girls were unable to participate in any high school athletic event."
"We weren't resentful at the time; we just thought it was the way it was. We could participate in gym class and cheerleading. I loved cheerleading at basketball and football games. Similar restrictions existed when I attended Bucknell University in Pennsylvania, where I stayed focused on my studies and majored in math. After I left and got a full-time job as a software developer, I joined a ski club."
Natalie Grabow, 80, entered the 80–84 age category at the Kona Ironman World Championship in Hawaii and completed the full-distance triathlon in 16 hours, 45 minutes, and 26 seconds, setting a record as the oldest female finisher and beating the 17-hour cutoff. The achievement made her family proud. She grew up before Title XI was passed in 1972 and faced limited high school athletic options, participating in gym class and cheerleading. She majored in math at Bucknell, worked as a software developer, joined a ski club, learned tennis after marriage, did fitness classes including step aerobics, and began running 5K and 10K races in her 40s, often running with colleagues during lunch.
Read at Business Insider
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