There’s a condescending “good for you” tone to many profiles of very fit seniors. The implication is that tough old birds are also rare birds. We much prefer articles like this recent overview of senior athletes—runners and bikers and mountain hikers—living in the Los Gatos, California, area. The focus isn’t on the strangeness of their accomplishments; it’s on how they got there and how others can replicate the journey. The keys include persistence and a dogged unwillingness to conform to expectations about what they can or can’t do. And the under-reported but highly accurate observation that “a supportive mate is a distinct advantage as well.”
