The beauty of the Olympic Games is a desire to push boundaries, break records, and do something that no one has ever done. Whether it’s a figure skater becoming the first woman to land a quad or Michael Phelps breaking a 2000 years+ record, there are no limits.
The magnitude of what can be accomplished when inhibitions and boundaries are set aside has expanded the competitive landscape. In a Washington Post story “They are Olympians. They are mothers. And they no longer have to choose” reminded us of the poignant story of Wilma Rudolph, a Black Olympic gold medalist, who regretted the need to hide her motherhood and the impact that had on her relationship with her daughter. Today, Olympians who are mothers are not only accepted, they are valued by fans who eagerly watch for mother and child moments and stories. Throughout the winter games, stories of parenthood from many countries lead the broadcast commentary. Young women are encouraged and empowered when they hear that a pregnant woman or the mother of a toddler competed for the gold. Women applauded loudly for Allyson Felix, Alysia Montano, and Kara Goucher as they fought for sports marketing contract guarantees around pregnancy. Being a mom, makes these stars human, relatable, and magnificent.
As we revere Tom Brady’s and Serena Williams’ indefatigable athletic prowess, we have accepted that sports careers now span a broader range of time. Older competitors and champions in the 2022 Olympics stole the show as well - including Hilary Knight, hockey player, age 32; Kate Uhlaender, American skeleton racer, age 37 and the gold medal winning snowboarding team of Nick Baumgartner and Lindsey Jacobellis, with a combined age of 76. Peak age for athletes continues to move as training, technological, and health and medical advances are made. It is heartwarming and inspiring to see attitudes change as we honor those who can incorporate family planning into a long Olympic career. We stand in awe of their performance, and we feel connected through their stories.
In a recent The Verge interview, Jeff Bercovici, San Francisco bureau chief for Inc. Magazine and author of Play On: The New Science of Elite Performance at Any Age, discussed the benefits to sports when mature athletes are part of the game: “Of course it makes sense that older athletes are better. The advantages that accrue from experience and maturity are so great that if you can subtract physical decline from the equation, or push back that horizon, it makes sense that the best players are going to be 35 or 40.”
The same holds true for rethinking how we value the potential of older adults in all aspects of society. Deborah Gale, a former Apple executive, has recently founded The Purpose Xchange: The Age of No Retirement. Gale’s work focuses on optimizing intergenerational solutions over the life course. She and her team note: “Experience and wisdom, led by a reawakening of one's purpose leads to longer, more productive and fulfilling lives, with massive social and economic benefits.”
The pandemic is creating seismic shifts in attitudes. It has made us re-think societal norms and highlights the need to strategically manage changing priorities.
Efforts like the Palo Alto longevity prize launched by Joon Yun, MD and his wife Kimberly have incentivized research focused on reversing the aging process. Biotech and researchers look at ways of delaying menopause by 15-20 years. Less invasive innovations in the treatment of heart disease have prolonged men’s careers. Gene editing is transformative and could be the key to making precision medicine a reality.
For entrepreneurs young and old, we embrace change. We visualize a future that has few limits and instead is designed to maximize each person’s potential within the continuum of their life in the same way Olympiads and pro athletes are seeing the extension of their competitive horizon. All it takes is tenacity, teamwork and embracing unlimited potential.
