Inspiration in an 80-Year-Old Package

On setting big goals that once felt out of reach

Have you ever told yourself it’s too late to start something new, maybe because of age, timing, or fear?

When I tell people I’m a triathlete, I often get one of two responses: amazement or a polite, “That’s cool, but I could never do that.”

Then there’s Natalie Grabow, who blows both reactions out of the water.

At 59, she wanted to become a triathlete, but first she had to learn how to swim.

Most people would take that as a reason not to start. Natalie saw it as something she simply needed to learn.

Fast forward to 2025: Natalie just made history as the first 80-year-old woman to complete the Ironman World Championship in Kona, a 2.4-mile swim in Kailua Bay, a 112-mile bike ride through lava fields, and a full marathon.

She crossed the finish line after 140.6 miles, 16 hours, 45 minutes, and 26 seconds after setting out that morning.

As I watched her cross that line, I saw exhaustion, exuberance, and years of steady work come together in one moment of triumph.

So what?

It’s easy to read stories like this and think, That’s great for her, but what does it have to do with me?

It matters because Natalie’s story reminds us that the finish line doesn’t care how old we are, what we’ve done before, or what’s held us back.

It’s not about Ironman. It’s about choosing to start something that feels out of reach.

Turning 50 this year, I’ve felt that truth more deeply than ever.

Blowing my own mind

Two weeks ago, I did something that both terrifies and thrills me: I registered for Ironman Chattanooga. The full Ironman, all 140.6 miles of it.

That click of a button was a year in the making. My journey started last fall when I registered for my first Ironman 70.3 in Galveston, Texas: a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, 13.1-mile run.

I’d done shorter triathlons before, but moving up to the 70.3 was like going from a 10K to a marathon. It required a new mindset, a new level of commitment, and a different kind of self-trust.

The power of an example

Unbeknownst to me, Natalie and I both raced at Musselman 70.3 in Geneva, New York, this summer. If I’d realized it at the time, I would have sought her out in the crowd.

Here’s what her story has done for me: it’s challenged me to rethink how I see my training and what’s possible for me.

There are days my body feels tight and tired, recovery takes longer, and my mind tells me, You’re getting older…maybe it’s time to dial it back.

Then I think of Natalie.

And there’s no going back.

The parallels of triathlon training and life

Training for an Ironman has become one of my greatest teachers, and the lessons extend far beyond the sport.

• Transformation takes time. It’s an accumulation of small, consistent actions.
• Your “why” must run deep. Superficial goals don’t survive hard days, and meaning keeps you moving.
• Failure isn’t fatal or final. It’s feedback and fuel.
• Proof compounds. Do one hard thing, and you prove to yourself you can do another.
• Identity shifts through repetition. Do something long enough, and it becomes who you are.

This is what growth looks like: persistence over perfection.

Fuel. Recovery. Mindset.

I’m currently reading Be IronFit by Don Fink and Melanie Fink, which explores training both the body and the mind. The longer the race, the more mental it becomes.

It reminds me that in life, after every big accomplishment, the promotion, the finish line, the breakthrough, comes the “now what?” moment.

That’s the human cycle of effort, arrival, and recalibration. The key is to be ready for it and to have a plan for what comes next.

That’s how I’ve learned to handle both grief and growth in my own life: by expecting the waves of emotion and trusting I’ll ride them when they come.

What this journey is teaching me

Every mile, every early morning, every moment of doubt reinforces what I already know through my training and coaching:

• Change happens through small, steady steps.
• Transformation demands a mindset shift. You can’t build a new life with old thinking.
• Embrace uncertainty. The best stories start with “I never thought I’d…”
• Hard things build confidence. Each challenge expands what you believe is possible.
• Preparation is power. Anticipate discomfort, plan for setbacks, and just keep going.

The finish line isn’t the end

Be IronFit closes with a question: “What comes next in your journey?”

That’s the real message. The finish line is a milestone.

My “why” is simple: I want to live fully — in motion, in health, and in community — for decades to come.

Natalie showed me that age doesn’t define our limits. Our beliefs do.

Next fall, when I cross that finish line in Chattanooga, I’ll know I didn’t just complete a race, I redefined what I believed was possible.

If Natalie can begin at 59 and complete Kona at 80, maybe we all have more beginnings left in us than we think.

Your turn

What’s the “Ironman” in your life, the thing that feels too big or too late to try?

Maybe it’s a dream, a move, a reinvention, or a healing.

Whatever it is, start now.

Write it down.

Say it out loud.

Tell someone who’ll cheer you on.

The starting line is waiting.