This book has been on my desk for over a year!  I think I was finally inspired to pick it after seeing so many older ladies take up Cross Fit, that I was just curious what this book was all about.   I know for a fact that we as women can be stronger, fitter and train smarter in our late 3o’s than we probably did in our early twenties.  There is just more knowledge out there- more successful methods have been shared with the world and what may have worked in the 80′s for training- is not as appropriate now.  We learn, we grow, we change- that’s life, right?

How many of you watched Dara win the gold in ’08?   Anybody a big swim fan who’s followed her career since 1984?  I have not.  In fact, I barely knew of her before reading this book.

Dara Torres’ story is one of being a swimmer from age 6 on.   She competed in 2 Olympics by the time she was 24 (?), retired, made a comeback at age 32, retired, and then began training again when she was 38 or 39- with plans to compete at her fifth Olympics at age 41.  Age is just a Number follows her from the first Olympics to the last.

Honestly, this book didn’t do much for me.  The writing was horrible.  Her story didn’t inspire me.  It really felt like she could just up and do whatever she wanted when she wanted it.    Dara decides she’d like to make a comeback at age 32, and drops her entire life in New York, moves across the country and trains full time for a year- in order to qualify for the Olympics.  Sorry, but, who can just quit their life for another one at the drop of a hat?  How do you pay for such a huge life change?  And she does it twice.   “Achieve Your Dreams at Any Stage in Your Life” annoys me, actually, because yes she achieved high ranking swimming status but it does not talk about any hardships or difficulties or roadblocks at all.  She decides- therefore it gets done.   It’s not about how I can achieve my dreams at any stage nor does it offer any wisdom or guidelines on how I could just change my life in order to pursue XYZ, you know?!

That’s it.  It’s just my opinion, I’m sure all of you have one on this topic.  Women who inspire me include K. Switzer, Joan Benoit, Connie Carpenter and other women pioneers who carved their way into sports and made a name for themselves.  Who inspires you?