Age Is Just a Number
We have all heard the old adage “age is just a number”, but most of us take it as just that, an old adage. For many people age is the perfect excuse to get lazy and stop learning new things. It is almost as if it is some rite of passage. “Ok, now that I am 40 years old, I need to slow down and cut back on my training.” Yet, for those of us who are willing to look, there are countless real life examples of people proving that age is in fact just a number. Every day people who are supposed to be “over the hill” or “past their prime” are able to not only compete at the highest levels, but also succeed. Age is much more a psychological barrier than a physical barrier. For those who are thinking about pulling the age card and claiming “I’m too old for this” let’s take a look at a few athletes who might make you think again.
Randy Couture
Randy is one of the most decorated mixed martial artists in
the history of the sport and a true MMA legend. Yet, it wasn't until the age of 34 that Randy competed in his
first professional fight. After
briefly retiring at the age of 42, Randy returned at the ripe old age of 43 to
claim his third UFC Heavyweight Championship. It wasn’t until the age of 47 that a still very competitive
Randy Couture decided to retire from the sport.
Dara Torres
Dara is a 12 time Olympic medalist in swimming. In the 2008 Summer Olympics the 41-year-old
mother won 3 silver medals, and is now at the age of 45 training to qualify for
her 6th Olympic games this summer.
Min Bahadur Sherchan
In 2008 it is estimated that around 2,000 people in the
entire world, living or dead, had successfully reached the peak of Mt.
Everest. Min Bahadur Sherchan was
one of them, and he did it at the age of 76 years old.
Nolan Shaheed
Statistically speaking the average 60-year-old man runs a
mile in about 14 minutes while the average 15-year-old child can do so in about
6 minutes. Nolan Shaheed at the
age of 61 ran a sub 5-minute mile.
Bernard Hopkins
At the age of 17 Bernard Hopkins was sentenced to 18 years
in prison. While in prison he
found boxing and changed his life.
He was released from prison after serving 5 years of his 18-year
sentence. On May 21, 2011 Hopkins
became the oldest boxer to win a world title when he defeated the 28-year-old
Jean Pascal. Hopkins was just 46
years old.
These are just a few examples of people refusing to act
their age. The list goes on and
on. If you are able to get over
the simple number that is your age, there is no reason that you cannot continue
to break personal records well into your twilight years. Refuse to act any age but that which
you feel, and the old adage “age is just a number” will be your reality.
Evolve Mixed Martial Arts® is Asia's premier brand of MMA academies. With World Champions in Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Mixed Martial Arts, Boxing, Wrestling, and No Gi Grappling, Evolve MMA is the top martial arts training organization in Asia. It ranks among the best martial arts academies in the world.
