41-Year-Old Torres Attempts Fifth Olympic Qualifier
June 23, 2008 by mhueter
Filed under Famous Women in Sports, Sports Headlines, Swimming
It has been studied and confirmed over and over again: age and gender each have a significant impact on the cardiac response to exercise. But for some reason, it doesn’t seem to apply to Dara Torres, a 41-year-old mother who is attempting to qualify for her fifth Olympic Games on June 29-July 6 at the USA Swimming Team Trials.
If Dara Torres qualifies for the Beijing Olympics, she will become the first swimmer to make five Olympic teams and will be the oldest female Olympic swimmer to date. She is truly the definition of the bionic woman, and serves as an inspiration to those who battle the inevitable obstacle of age.
To put this phenomenon into perspective, in 1984 (the year before I was born) Torres won her first Olympic gold medal in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay. She was 14 years old. Here she is, today, still kicking butt.
Torres boggles the minds of exercise physiologists everywhere. Her physicality is remarkable for her age, and because of this, she receives regular and frequent drug tests to prove she is for real.
Her training regimen is different than the 17-year-olds she competes against. Wendy Lewellen from the Women’s Sports Foundation says,
“She takes Thursdays and Sundays off from her typical 7-2:30 work-outs, and she plays close attention to her diet. At 5’11”, she’s 10 pounds lighter than she was in 2000. I expected to encounter in Torres a living nutritional chemistry experiment. But aside from relying heavily on her Living Fuel shakes and bars in the early part of the day, her diet sounds simply sensible.”
What makes a professional athlete a true champion? In my opinion, it’s how they use their image and voice to make an impact on society.
Torees does just that. She has used her influence to raise awareness around health issues that have touched her life. Toyota sponsors her effort to spotlight eating disorders, which is a very large problem in the community of female athletes.
I’d like to wish Dara Torres the best of luck as she takes to the lanes June 29-July 6 in Omaha, Neb. For more information on the event, go to USASwimming.org.
To get an even better understanding of how amazing her story has become, check out the below ABC “Person of the Week” video.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6FjZ5nTCXM&hl=en]
you might want to check your math…you said she won her first olympic gold in 1984 at the age of 14. that wouldn’t make her 41 today in 2008. (i believe she was actually born in 1967)
I’m sorry… you’re totally right. I was basing my entire article off of the Women’s Sports Foundation. Here’s where I found the information:
http://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/Content/Articles/Athletes/About-Athletes/D/Dara-Torres-Olympic-Champion-Ready-for-Round-Five.aspx
Here’s (specifically) why I called her 14…
“Think back to what you were doing in 1984. That was the year Torres won her first Olympic gold medal in the 4 x 100-meter freestyle relay. Diana Nyad, swimming legend and radio commentator, recalled interviewing her as a “skinny-hipped 14-year-old…an exuberant, giggly, talented kid.”
A comment to the naysayers. My own experience: at age 40 while working out FAR less than while in my prime at age 20, I turned far the fastest 1000 meter of my life. Dara doping? Hogwash! She’s just gt a gift which she clearly earned. My very best to her!
Jer
A remarkable athlete, woman, and person who proves that age is in your mind.
Her workouts would kill the average 20 year old US male. She is an accomplished woman in other areas of her life as well.
I am a man, so I have to say, wow, what incredible abs!!