Special Report: Champions at Any Age

Many people say that age is nothing but a number—and more and more older athletes are proving that to be true. Competitions on every level, from Ironman triathlons to the international Olympic Games, are attracting 50-plus athletes who show that skill, strength and determination help keep them focused on the finish line.

Beijing
Quest for Olympic Gold Turns Ageless
At times, Debbie McDonald vividly remembers her violent fall from her mount during a jumping competition more than 15 years ago. More >>

Senior Olympics
Too Old to Compete? Don’t Tell These Athletes
Vivian Stancil of Riverside, Calif., is 61 years old and blind, but that doesn’t stop her from swimming in national competitions. More >>

Endurance
Older Adults Swell the Ranks of Endurance Athletes
Margaret Hagerty, Sister Madonna Buder, David Jones. Although you won’t see them in Beijing, they have made it into the record books. More >>

Dara Torres
Oldest Olympic Swimmer Shares Her Success Secrets
At the age of 41, Dara Torres will be the oldest swimmer to compete in the Olympics this August. But you wouldn’t know it. More >>

Prime Time Radio
Interview With Author David Maraniss
David Maraniss tells the story of Ethiopian marathon runner Abebe Bikila, the first Black African to win a gold medal. More >>

Book Excerpt
Rome 1960: The Olympics That Changed the World
In the history of the modern Games, others have drawn more notice, but none offers a deeper palette of character, drama and meaning. More >>

Special Report
Who Will Care for China's Elders?
For thousands of years, children cared for their parents. Modernization is changing generational bonds. How will the world's most populous country cope? More >>