Defying age: meet the oldest athletes breaking records
As the saying goes, age is just a number - and our record holders prove it with every achievement. Meet some of the oldest sports enthusiasts!
Starting strong with a race! Mathea Allansmith (USA) isn’t just a regular grandma, she is the oldest person to complete a 10 kilometres race (female). She was born in Koloa, Hawaii, in 1930 and was 92 years 194 days old when she smashed her 10 k. The 2022 Honolulu Marathon witnessed her cross the finish line in just 2 hr 29 min!
Read more stories about record-breaking athletes in our Sports and Fitness section.
Mathea has been passionate about running since she was in her 40s. In her interview with Guinness World Records she said that the Honolulu Marathon is particularly one of her favourites, because they don’t close the gate at a certain time – allowing even the slowest runner to complete it. Her soft spot for running has made her persistent and full of life!
Then there’s yoga - a practice beloved by many and coming back in style lately! Ida Herbert (Canada) proudly claimed a Guinness World Records title as the world’s oldest yoga teacher in 2012, actively teaching at the remarkable age of 95.
Ida believed that you’re never too old to move. From her home in Ontario's Bayshore Village, she held weekly classes for women, inspiring them to embrace yoga. Before that, she spent decades working at the Orillia YMCA, starting from the 1940s – well ahead of its global boom!
She rose at 5:30 a.m. daily for sun salutations and some yoga poses, claiming that it was a secret to her longevity and happy attitude. Ida celebrated her 100th birthday in 2016 and passed peacefully in 2020 at the age of 103, leaving a legacy of movement.
From flexibility to stability, as they say! Gloria Elena De Stoppello Belandria (Venezuela) is the world's oldest person to perform an abdominal plank (female). At the age of 86 years and 162 days, she was able to plank for an impressive 5 minutes and 44 seconds, truly laughing at the face of age.
Gloria was born in August 1939 in Valencia, Carabobo, and has worked as a dentist for the majority of her life. After retirement, she dove headfirst into fitness and trained for six years before attempting the record, which, by the way, sparked cheers across Venezuela!
Finally, we take it to the ice, where curling delivers an unforgettable record. Ralph Vaccaro (USA) impressed the world as the oldest curling player (male). At the age of 99 years and 36 days old, he was still picking up the curling broom and actively competing at the Cape Cod Curling Club in Falmouth, Massachusetts, USA.
Born in 1919, Ralph didn’t even practise curling until his late 80s, joining the sport at 87 and sticking with it for over a decade! In his lifetime, Ralph served in World War II, then spent 37 years working as an oceanographer, until his wife encouraged him to try curling for fun.
From the track to the yoga mat and even on to the ice, these record holders prove that passion doesn’t fade with age!