By Marketing Contractor Meghan Randolph
On September 8, my 28-year-old brother ran an Ironman here in Madison. He’s been training for months. I got to step outside of a rehearsal on a break and see him just at the start of the run. He said he was already struggling after going too fast on the bike, but seeing me was a surprise that lifted his spirits!
For those who don’t know, the Ironman is a full triathlon, comprised of swimming for 2.4 miles, biking for 112 miles, and running for 26.2 miles. The Ironman races take place all over the world. You can learn more about them here.
I was so proud of my brother for getting through such a tough race. When we were talking about it, he mentioned that the age categories go all the way to 70 and up! I thought of our SAIL members instantly. Sure, not everyone is up to running an Ironman, but it made me think of how older adults in our community and beyond are defying the stereotype of being “too old” to do something. This was just another example. And as I was waiting to see my brother run by, I saw many older adults trekking away. (Meanwhile, I was out of breath just from running out the door to catch a glimpse of him!)
To top it off, a lot of the older adults beat my brother! The top runner in the 65 to 69 age group finished in 11 hours and 37 minutes. It took my brother 13 hours and 36 minutes! (I’m still super proud of him. I would have made it about 10 minutes!)
You don’t have to go out and do an Ironman, of course! But it’s a great reminder of what SAIL is all about. At any age, you can discover and accomplish great things. We love our SAIL members for all of the things they do to stay active and keep learning. You are an inspiration!
Check out some videos of older adults in an Ironman below. These play on YouTube and should work on any device with an internet connection.
Oldest Ironman competitor ever: 87-year-old Iron-nun
Ironman’s new iron man: 84-year-old Lew Hollander
Have an idea for the blog? Contact meghan.k.randolph@gmail.com or the SAIL office at 608-230-4321 or info@sailtoday.org.
Independence Through Connections. 
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