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Finally, I have found out what -- or rather who -- I want to be when I grow up! Her name is Mary Stroebe, and she's not just the subject of a documentary making the rounds of the film festivals. She's the subject of a documentary because she happened to still be following up her swims with a bike ride and a long distance run up until the ripe old age of 90.
Hold on a second, I'm penciling 90-year-old triathlete into my imaginary "life goals and ambitions" book (because if I had a real one, you don't think I'd admit it on the Internet, do you?). Ok, done! I still think Mary Stroebe moves faster than me.
Stroebe popped up on my horizon as star of Mary and Bill, a documentary that covers not just her but Bill Wambach, an 83-year-old high jumper. No disrespect to Bill, who seems to be a pretty high flying fellow, but Mary's seven extra years have given her the edge on claiming future role model status. In 90 years, she's figured out what it really takes to be an athlete -- no fear, and not taking "nah, you're too old" for an answer.
But here's what really got me. Filmmakers were following Mary as she tried to recover from an injury in time to compete in a major triathlon. And how did she get this injury, you wonder? Was it getting off the couch too slowly or maybe folding herself up in a La-Z-Boy recliner? Hello, we're talking about my future self here! The triathlete had a totally badass run-in with a snowboarder on a ski slope:
See this video on The Stir by CafeMom.
She has bona fide extreme sports battle scars at 90. I have sore shoulders from slumping over my laptop at 29. To-may-to, to-mah-to? Anyhoo-ha, Stroebe totally busted through, natch, because when you keep your body fine tuned to compete in triathlons, you're not going to let a little thing like being 90 keep you from recovery.
Want to know why being athletic is NOT overrated? Look how long it took her to get from an accident on a ski slope to running, swimming, and biking in a triathlon. Not too shabby ...
Is Mary Stroebe the future you?
Image via Mary and Bill Film
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
