Over the past couple of months, my house has been dominated by one thing: the Olympics and Paralympic Games. My wife has been glued to the television watching gymnastics, swimming and para swimming. Joining my wife was my three-year-old daughter, who I think became Simone Biles’ newest fan! Whether it was the all-around competition, the uneven bars, the pommel horse, or the swimming pool, my wife met events with enthusiasm and concentration. I was frequently told, “No talking, the Olympics are on!” I can’t say I haven’t shared a similar sentiment when watching my favorite sporting events.

While I spent most of my evenings watching the Yankees, I did follow the games online. One of the articles that caught my attention was regarding older adult athletes. While most participants are younger, there are a few sports that have a fair number of older people.

On team USA, Steffen Peters was a 59-year-old equestrian participating in his sixth Olympics after previously winning a silver medal and two bronze medals. Team Australia boasted Mary Hanna, who at age 69 was participating in her seventh Olympic Games for equestrian dressage. While Hanna served as an alternate, her determination and commitment to be part of another Olympics deserves applause. “I’ve been doing this for so long now,” Hanna told Equestrian Life.  “Riding’s one of those amazing sports where you can do it no matter what your age is, or your gender. It’s a fantastic sport like that. So as long as I feel fit enough to ride a horse, I’ll keep going. Because it’s what I love to do, it’s my life. It’s everything to me.”

Juan Antonio Jimenez Cobo of Spain competed in this year’s games at 65 as an equestrian. Cobo originally participated in the 2000 summer games and won a silver medal in 2004. This was Cobo’s first Olympics in 20 years.

In addition, table tennis produced heartwarming stories involving older Olympians. For example, Zeng Zhiying, 58, from Chile, participated in her first Olympics and has been given the nickname “table tennis Grandma,” despite not having grandchildren. Originally from China, she turned pro at the age of 12. Unfortunately, four years later she left the national team because her game was negatively impacted by a paddle rule change. Later, she took a job in Chile, coaching youth table tennis. During the pandemic, Zeng started playing again for exercise. Once quarantine ended, she competed in various tournaments, including the 2023 Pan American Games, and qualified for the Olympics.

Coincidentally, Ni Xia Lian, a former Chinese teammate of Zeng participated in the Olympics, representing Luxembourg. Ni left China for Germany to study and eventually moved to Luxembourg. At 61, she became the oldest table tennis player in the Olympics to win a match. During opening ceremonies Ni had the honor of carrying Luxembourg’s flag. While neither Zeng nor Ni won a medal, their presence as competitors at the games is something to be admired.

While these athletes have achieved tremendous feats, the record for oldest athlete in Summer Olympics history goes to Oscar Swhan from Sweden, who in 1920, at age 72, won the silver medal in target shooting. The oldest female athlete in Summer Olympics history was Lorna Johnstone from Great Britian, who in 1972, at age 70, competed in team equestrian events.

The Paralympic Games also has a history of older athletes competing. Libby Kosmala from Australia won 13 medals, including 9 gold, while participating in 12 Paralympic Games. While Kosmala won most of her medals in shooting, in 1972 she captured a bronze in swimming. At age 74, in 2016, she participated in her final Paralympics. At this year’s games 69-year-old Heidemarie Dresing represented Germany in the para equestrian event. Originally riding horses as a child, she started para dressage at age 52 after she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. She made her Paralympic debut in 2020 in Tokyo at 66 years old.

I guess the old cliché “You’re as young as you feel,” applies to older adults competing in the Olympics. Older adults competing against people almost half their age can be daunting, however, many older competitors have demonstrated that there is no substitute for experience.

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Evan Carmen, Esq. is the Legislative Director for Aging Policy at the B’nai B’rith International Center for Senior Services. Click here to read more from Evan Carmen.