At 69 years old, Mary Hanna was the oldest Olympian this year

Key points:

• The recent Paris 2024 Olympics and upcoming Paralympics highlight that older people can participate in high-level sports, as can people with disability 
• Approximately one in two Australians aged 65 years and over have disability, according to recent data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
• Adapting your lifestyle to incorporate exercise suited to you can help maintain good mental and physical health 

With the Paris 2024 Paralympics kicking off on August 28, 2024, 160 athletes with disability will represent Australia in their fight to achieve places on the podium. 

The opening ceremony for this year’s Paralympics will be held at 8pm in Paris and can be viewed live at 4am AEST on August 29, 2024, on the 9Network TV channels.

With many athletes with disability competing this year, older Australians may wonder how they can increase their physical activity if they have physical limitations.

At 69 years old, Mary Hanna was the oldest Australian Olympic athlete present at the Paris 2024 Olympics, having participated in equestrian dressage in every Olympics since the Atlanta 1996 Olympics.

Additionally, Libby Kosmala from South Australia has competed in 12 Paralympic Games and was the oldest competitor in the Rio 2016 Paralympics at 73 years old. Although Ms Kosmala began her athletic career as a swimmer, she soon found a love for air rifle shooting.

In a 2016 interview with ABC News, Ms Kosmala commented on why she continued to participate at the Paralympic level, despite being an older competitor.

“I think it keeps me fit. It keeps me mentally alert because it’s 95 percent mental and five percent physical,” she said.

“I don’t feel like the oldest athlete.”

Approximately one in two Australians aged 65 years and over have disability.

The most common chronic condition affecting older Australians is arthritis which can contribute to disability, depending on the severity.

For example, Australians with rheumatoid arthritis may experience reduced mobility, physical weakness and joint pain.  

Surgery, certain medications and having allied health appointments may reduce pain associated with arthritis.

Other ways to manage arthritis include eating a balanced diet and engaging in regular exercise such as swimming or walking. However, if you are just starting to exercise or want to change your exercise routine, chat with your doctor first.

While adapting your exercise to suit your abilities is important, improving your fitness is possible as an older person.

The oldest Olympic competitor to date is Hilda Lorna Johnstone from Great Britain who competed in dressage in the Munich 1972 Olympics at 70 years old.

Although competing at Olympic and Paralympic levels isn’t a focus for many older Australians, keeping active as you age can benefit your physical and mental health.

Christine Thompson-Wells is an educator and author of many books, including Grandma’s Personal Trainer, which contains simple illustrated instructions for exercises that can be done at home. 

While the title suggests the suitability of the exercises for older female Australians, Christine emphasised that this book is for all older Australians who want to increase their physical activity.

Here is an excerpt of a foot exercise from Grandma’s Personal Trainer that you can do sitting on a chair: 

‘Sitting back on the chair and while your ankles and feet are limbered up, bring your toes up in the direction of the knee. Then back to the original position, then back up into the direction of your knee. Do this five to ten times and then go to your other foot and repeat the exercise.’

Read more about other exercises in Christine’s book in this article: Grandma’s Personal Trainer helps older Australians stay fit at home.

How do you like to stay active as an older Australian? 

Let the team at Talking Aged Care know on social media. 

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