Dara Torres took the fastest time in qualifying for tonight/today/tomorrow's (?) 50 meter free final. The 41-year old's chances not only at a medal, but for a gold are looking good. She could set a record no one will ever beat: oldest swimmer to earn an Olympic medal. So as we wait for the final here's a cute piece about some of the effects Dara Torres's return to international competition. It focuses on three women over the age of 40 who have gotten back into a healthier lifestyle that includes a return to exercise.
It's kind of a happy happy fluff piece, but it does point out that some of the recent focus on these fabulous women over 40 (Halle Berry, Kim Catrall, Nicole Kidman) really does not resonate with most women. But people look at Torres, who became a mother in her late 30s, hear her talk about achieving balance in her life and though they may never get her amazing abs and shoulders, they do know they can get into the pool or start being active again no matter how old they are.
Of course it fails to note that some women will never be able to find that balance because they don't have the economic privilege to make time or pay for a facility no matter how much of a "can-do attitude" they have.
We'll see how far Torres's attitude (oh, and all that hard work) takes her tonight.
3 comments:
Today is Madonna's 50th birthday, and MSNBC has a piece on the effect her birthday has on thousands of middle-aged women. If anyone around is in shape and kicking butt, it's Madge.
I heard that on the news and meant to mention it.
To me, Torres is the most inspiring athlete of the Games. Once you cut through all the Michael Phelps' hoopla, it is plain to see that Torres has really been an inspiration in the way she has displayed an unbelievable amount of sportspersonship to her fellow competitors. It had to be tough to lose the 50 free by 1/100th of a second, but Torres was very gracious. And winning a silver medal is an unbelievable accomplishment, despite the way American announcer Dan Hicks routinely talks about swimmers "settling" for the silver or "settling" for the bronze.
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