# Anybody know of any "superhuman" old folks? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 4, 2004, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-know-of-any-superhuman-old-folks/263153 "2004-09-04T22:59:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MikeCollins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bbce88/32.png) [@MikeCollins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeCollins)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2004, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-know-of-any-superhuman-old-folks/263153/1 "2004-09-04T22:59:38Z")
I know a guy in his early fifties. Now when he was younger, he could run the 100 metres in around 10.5 seconds (or thereabouts - I think that was his fastest though). Now in old age (relatively), he can run the 100 metres in 11.5-11.7 seconds. I know because I’ve timed him. Now I think this is amazing. It _should_ be a record, right? He prohibits me from mentioning any of this publicly (don’t ask - coz I don’t know why). But I think he should be in some sort of Guinness book for old timers. It’s phenomenal to watch him do it. He actually looks a little _older_ than he claims, which makes it all the more amazing if he is. Maybe he takes some crazy T-juice or something. The point is, do you know any old folks who are like this? Guys that do things they shouldn’t be able to do, physically? I can think of a guy on a TV program I watched on the National Geographic. He was some 89 year old guy who was a former master at some martial art that was created in the 1800’s in Paris (La Savate - I think). After being a prisoner of the Nazi’s during WWII, his fame spread. He became a legend. Although not the focus of the show, he was undoubtedly fascinating - not least because he managed to pull off some hand maneuvres with the speed and deftness that would have put anyone practicing in thier twenties to shame. Also I think Arnold is another one who is pretty rocking for a 57 year old. I mean he was _42_ when he made Predator. $"!!! That body looks as though it belongs on a 20-something year old. I hate it - it’s way overdone - but it’s the MOST I have ever seen him defined, ripped and bulging in any of his movies. And he looked pretty great in _End of Days_ too (though once again his tragic acting skills came to light - good thing he doesn’t have to use any more of those, _right_?) Do you know anyone like this - geriatrics who seem to defy belief and stay agile and maintain thier speed so well? Can you name any famous examples? ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2004, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-know-of-any-superhuman-old-folks/263153/2 "2004-09-04T23:50:53Z")
For about five years, up until about 1994 or so, my father taught sailboarding classes. He and my mother still go down to Cape Hatteras twice a year to go sailboarding, and also go skiing regularly in the Alps and the Rockies. More recently he’s started an annual July 4th series of kayak races on a lake in the Poconos, and has won the over-50’s category every year by a wide margin and this year came in second in the final “Winners of All Categories” race. He’'ll be 76 in January. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2004, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-know-of-any-superhuman-old-folks/263153/3 "2004-09-05T03:02:22Z")
He;s definitely competitive, but it’s not time to call Guinness Book of Records See [B. C. MASTERS TRACK AND FIELD RECORDS - New Records set in 2003](http://www.bcathletics.org/main/pdf/mastersrecords03.pdf) ---
**Author:** ![Nefarious\_Chipmunk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nefarious_chipmunk/32/1045_2.png) [@Nefarious\_Chipmunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nefarious_Chipmunk)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2004, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-know-of-any-superhuman-old-folks/263153/4 "2004-09-05T07:46:56Z")
When I was a figure skater, one of my coaches did a back flip on the ice (Like Scott Hamilton) for me. He was 80 years old. It was pretty phenominal. ---
**Author:** ![Testy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c37758/32.png) [@Testy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Testy)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2004, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-know-of-any-superhuman-old-folks/263153/5 "2004-09-05T07:57:25Z")
Last year I was working out in the gym, grunting and sweating, heaving (moderately) huge weights around and feeling just about dead. Anyway, there was an old guy running on the treadmill. Running, not walking or jogging. Anyway, the olf guy kept _chatting_ with me. No puffing or panting, just idle conversation. It was damned embarasing. :o Anyway, I later discovered that this guy was 67 years old and ran a marathon every other month. He’d been running since he was in his forties and just kept going. Testy ---
**Author:** ![t-keela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a3d4f5/32.png) [@t-keela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/t-keela)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2004, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-know-of-any-superhuman-old-folks/263153/6 "2004-09-05T12:08:52Z")
50’s = geriatric… WTF? BTW… How old are you and what exactly is it that you are physically superior at? Can I name any? Yeah I could give you one hell of a list. People who are active throughout their lives and are fortunate to stay healthy. Will be “superhuman” when compared to those who…well, don’t. Regardless of their age. Seen Jack LaLane lately? What is that old man in his 90’s now. I saw him on some damned info-commercial awhile back working out like a 30 year old. I’m but 42 and I’ll put myself up against anyone in a working situation involving hard physical labor and long hot days. I’ve put a many twenty-thirty year olds to shame. Over the hill…you like racquetball? When I used to workout a lot…I rode my mountainbike to the weight room where I’d spend about 45minutes on the weights and two hours in the rqtball court. Another half hour cooling off in the weight room and back home on the bike. It was a 15 mile ride (one way). There’s an old man where I live that speed walks every morning. He’s in his late sixties and he does ten miles every morning. He’s damned fast. I’d hate to jog with him, IF I still ran. I did the mile in high school but running is just too hard on the joints for me. Back when I practiced everyday and taught a little ShorinRyu, Master Keisei was in his 50’s. I saw him simultaneously kick the shit outta three young (30ish) 3rd-5th degree blackbelts. He was a pretty small guy too. They weren’t. Knew a ffin drill instructor once that’d run your ass to death too. Beat your ass to death if he wanted to as well. Didn’t make a shit how young or bad you **thought** you were either. ---
**Author:** ![Testy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c37758/32.png) [@Testy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Testy)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2004, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-know-of-any-superhuman-old-folks/263153/7 "2004-09-05T12:28:40Z")
> [@t-keela](#): > > 50’s = geriatric… WTF? > \Back when I practiced everyday and taught a little ShorinRyu, Master Keisei was in his 50’s. I saw him simultaneously kick the shit outta three young (30ish) > 3rd-5th degree blackbelts. He was a pretty small guy too. They weren’t. > Knew a ffin drill instructor once that’d run your ass to death too. Beat your ass to death if he wanted to as well. Didn’t make a shit how young or bad you **thought** you were either. We used to have a Mr. Bias occasionally come to Kali class. He was from the southern fillipines and was a very scary dude with a stick or knife or just his hands. To be fair, he didn’t come across like superman though, more like being so skilled that you just knew you were going to be trashed no matter **what** you pulled. I’d think he’d have been in his late 50’s or early 60’s. I frankly never got up the nerve to ask his age as he didn’t encourage familiarity from younger guys like me that had only been studying for 8 or 9 years. Regards Testy P.S. And yeah, what is with this 50’s being geriatric? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2004, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-know-of-any-superhuman-old-folks/263153/8 "2004-09-05T13:55:48Z")
Huh. My dad, who just celebrated his 60th birthday, often plays pick-up soccer and outruns guys 35 years his junior. And he’s picked up a hefty spare tire in the past decade too. ---
**Author:** ![Tentacle\_Monster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba9def/32.png) [@Tentacle\_Monster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tentacle_Monster)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2004, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-know-of-any-superhuman-old-folks/263153/9 "2004-09-05T15:17:53Z")
Back in Missouri, there was this old guy who had a fair bit of property on the highway. He’d built two houses on it, all by himself, and had just about finished a third when I left. You couldn’t help the guy. ---
**Author:** ![Lucretia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/13edae/32.png) [@Lucretia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucretia)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2004, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-know-of-any-superhuman-old-folks/263153/10 "2004-09-05T15:27:08Z")
My paternal grandfather got married for the third time when he was 76, to a woman 20 years his junior. He’s built every house he’s ever lived in as an adult except this last one (that his wife owned when they married), and when he got married this time, added an addition (all on his own), that’s as big as the original house. Last year, at the age of 82, he completely remodeled the kitchen and upstairs, again on his own. He is, as my brother says, one tough old wop. ---
**Author:** ![MikeCollins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bbce88/32.png) [@MikeCollins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeCollins)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2004, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-know-of-any-superhuman-old-folks/263153/11 "2004-09-05T19:15:26Z")
> [@t-keela](#): > > 50’s = geriatric… WTF? > BTW… How old are you and what exactly is it that you are physically superior at? Yeah I know but I’m just reaching my fifties and I’m paranoid. What can I say? It’s one of those early mid-life crises. Maybe I’ll sleep with 6 new women and get over it. Maybe not. 45 at the mo, And when the heck did I say I was physically superior at _anything_? 🙂 Oh and **astro** , your cite doesn’t seem to open on my computer (or at least for some reason my 200 year old PC just never likes opening a Windows link). Is it just mentioning regular athletes or older folks records. Coz my guy running the 100m in such a time has gotta be a record for a man in his fifties (like I said though - it could be sixties and I’m not really sure how truthful he is being to me). ---
**Author:** ![t-keela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a3d4f5/32.png) [@t-keela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/t-keela)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2004, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-know-of-any-superhuman-old-folks/263153/12 "2004-09-05T19:28:57Z")
> [@](#): > > And when the heck did I say I was physically superior at anything? sorry bro…I read this as being from some kid. You said the guy was 50+ and that was old aged **relatively** speaking. I assumed you were saying, “I’m young and am…etc.” Sorry my mistake. You don’t drink tequila do you? Maybe you should 😃 Drag a few girls out on the dance floor. Not physically superior at anything? really…damnit I figured everyone was good at something. I mean, well if this were the pit…I could tell ya a few things. 😃 BTW if 45-50 is midlife buddy…quit worrying. 6 women? all at once right? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2004, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-know-of-any-superhuman-old-folks/263153/13 "2004-09-06T03:41:43Z")
I don’t think Jerry Lewis (MDA telethon guy) would do well in the 100 meter race, but I am simply amazed he still talks and walks around. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2004, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-know-of-any-superhuman-old-folks/263153/14 "2004-09-06T03:59:59Z")
A guy who works at my gym is the U.S. Masters record holder for weightlifting. He lifted 40kg in the snatch, 47.5 in the clean and jerk, 87.5 combined. He is in the 56kg weight category. He was born in 1925. He’ll be 80 next year and will blow out the national age records by 75%. He is also officially the nicest man in the world. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2004, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-know-of-any-superhuman-old-folks/263153/15 "2004-09-06T04:24:44Z")
My grandfather was one of the finest bowlers in the South Hills of Pittsburgh for decades. His average only dropped below 200 when he was in his eighties. He took teams to the ABC tournament for more than fifty years. There are thirty-five years difference in age between his oldest and youngest daughters, with seven kids in between. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2004, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-know-of-any-superhuman-old-folks/263153/16 "2004-09-06T05:49:47Z")
> [@MikeCollins](#): > > Also I think Arnold is another one who is pretty rocking for a 57 year old. I mean he was _42_ when he made Predator. $"!!! That body looks as though it belongs on a 20-something year old. Not to burst your bubble, but Arnold’s definitely known to let himself go a bit, between films. Not too long ago I saw a picture of him at some beach, in a Speedo, and that wasn’t any 20-year old looking body. But I will concede that compared to the vast majority of his cohort, he’s in great shape. ---
**Author:** ![MikeCollins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bbce88/32.png) [@MikeCollins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeCollins)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2004, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-know-of-any-superhuman-old-folks/263153/17 "2004-09-06T21:44:31Z")
> [@t-keela](#): > > sorry bro…I read this as being from some kid. You said the guy was 50+ and that was old aged **relatively** speaking. I assumed you were saying, “I’m young and am…etc.” Sorry my mistake. > You don’t drink tequila do you? Maybe you should 😃 > Drag a few girls out on the dance floor. > > Not physically superior at anything? really…damnit I figured everyone was good at something. > I mean, well if this were the pit…I could tell ya a few things. > > 😃 > > BTW if 45-50 is midlife buddy…quit worrying. 6 women? all at once right? 😉 Ahhhh, no worries bud. Tequila’s??? I could down them in my sleep - at least that’s what I tell myself before a nice warm glass of milk and ensuring my jammies are on right before bed 🙂 6 women all at once? I have no objections, though my wife may disagree 😛 ---
**Author:** ![MikeCollins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bbce88/32.png) [@MikeCollins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeCollins)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2004, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-know-of-any-superhuman-old-folks/263153/18 "2004-09-06T21:56:41Z")
> [@Spectre of Pithecanthropus](#): > > Not to burst your bubble, but Arnold’s definitely known to let himself go a bit, between films. Not too long ago I saw a picture of him at some beach, in a Speedo, and that wasn’t any 20-year old looking body. > > But I will concede that compared to the vast majority of his cohort, he’s in great shape. Oh no I agree with that certainly. But then a hell of a lot of movie stars let themselves go (especially in between movies). And many of them aren’t in great shape to begin with. But like say for example in _End of Days_. He was in his fifties when shooting that - and I have to say - though not quite like in _Predator_, his muscles still have a decent shape and texture to them. No bulging veins like before - but then to be honest I don’t really like those anyway. And realising he _wasn’t_ as young in his movies as I thought he was (for example, I always figured as a kid that he was around 26 or 27 doing _Conan The Barbarian_. Turns out he was 35. Even for _Twins_ I seem to recall thinking that he was only in his early thirties when in fact he was 41) gave me quite a shock. I always use to get mixed up between the time he retired from professional bodybuilding to the time he began making movies (especially the later, more successful years). ---
**Author:** ![pullin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@pullin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pullin)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2004, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-know-of-any-superhuman-old-folks/263153/19 "2004-09-06T23:27:01Z")
This guy is 83 years old and still puts on barefooting (hi speed waterskiing on just your feet) shows regularly. Don’t actually _know_ him, but have watched him foot. I’d call him superhuman. http://www.bananageorge.com/ ---
**Author:** ![Alias](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e4f/32.png) [@Alias](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alias)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2004, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-know-of-any-superhuman-old-folks/263153/20 "2004-09-07T12:19:03Z")
My grandfather runs 3 miles every morning, plays 18 holes of golf whenever he can, (he walks the course, by the way) and he competes in marathons and fun runs several times a year. He’s 74, and he’s in better shape than me! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-know-of-any-superhuman-old-folks/263153.md?page=2)