Special Report: Quest for Olympic Gold Turns Ageless

Equestrian - Spruce Meadows Masters. Ian Millar of Canada jumps over the water on In Style at the CN International Open Cup during the Spruce Meadows Masters in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Photo by Todd Korol/Reuters/Corbis

More older athletes seeking glory at Beijing

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At times, Debbie McDonald vividly remembers her violent fall from her mount during a jumping competition more than 15 years ago. The scars, some physical, others etched deeply into her psyche, are remnants of the excruciating pain that threatened to jeopardize a promising equestrian career.

Instead of conceding to the pain, McDonald shifted her focus from jumping to dressage—an elegant blend of horse training, gymnastics and ballet. And then, just a few weeks shy of her 50th birthday, the Hailey, Idaho, resident punctuated an injury-plagued career by earning a trip to the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.

McDonald capped her birthday celebration there when she earned a bronze medal in team dressage. Not only did she conquer both her fears and the competition, the two-time Pan American Games gold medalist successfully navigated her way through the inevitable course that every world-class athlete must face—aging.

“Whether you go to the Olympics over 50 or just do something you love to do, that is what is important,” McDonald says. “I am doing one of the few sports that age is not as important as experience and the horse that you are riding.”

McDonald, now 53, figures her age and experience will serve as valuable assets for a U.S. equestrian team that’s panning for gold at the Beijing Olympics.

McDonald is among at least a dozen Olympians age 50 and older who are scheduled to compete in China—including Haile Satayin, 53, a native of Ethiopia who will represent Israel in the marathon, and 67-year-old Japanese equestrian Hiroshi Hoketsu, who, according to HorseChannel.com, is the oldest athlete ever to compete in the Summer Games. Other over-50 U.S. Olympians are Karen O’Connor, 50 (equestrian); Richard Johnson, 52 (archery); Elizabeth Callahan, 56 (shooting); and John Dane III, 58 (sailing). McDonald says the older crowd is proving that youth isn’t a prerequisite for aspiring Olympians. All that’s required is desire, talent and a willingness to sacrifice your normal lifestyle while preparing for a challenging competition.

“What most people don’t know is that you work your whole life for this,” says McDonald, who hasn’t returned to her Idaho home since stepping up her training in January. Instead, she has been consumed by the dream of Olympic gold. “One bad day or a wrong step ends it all. Sometimes I think we are all a little crazy to travel all this way and go through so much stress for six minutes to show it off. But those of us who do it wouldn’t give it up for anything.”

McDonald, who turns 54 three days after the Games’ closing ceremonies, considers herself to be as fit as possible. Unlike most Olympians, she didn’t put herself through some grueling fitness regimen while preparing for the U.S. trials.

“I don’t do anything special to prepare,” she says. “I have been doing this my whole life so I know how to mentally prepare.

“As far as physical fitness, I have so many old injuries that I pretty much walk. But the riding is what has kept me going.”

While McDonald isn’t the oldest U.S. Olympian, she is among the most respected. It’s why her equestrian teammates affectionately refer to her as “Moms.” “I like it,” she says. “Everyone loves Moms. I would hope this is starting a trend.”

A trend, she says, that is likely to thrust older athletes into the Olympic spotlight while persuading other over-50 athletes that age can sometimes trump youth.

“To have the opportunity to represent your country in one Olympics is amazing,” says McDonald, who teaches riders. “To have done this twice at my age is even more amazing. I wouldn’t say that I am surprised at my performance, since I ride a great mare.”

McDonald will saddle up Brentina, a 17-year-old Hanoverian mare. The two have been practically inseparable since McDonald began training the horse when it was 3. Brentina, one of the most successful horses in American dressage, will be competing with McDonald for the last time in Beijing.

“I am very pumped up for this Olympics,” McDonald says, “especially with it being our last competition together.”

Although Brentina won’t be with her, McDonald is already looking toward the 2012 Summer Games in London—where she expects to celebrate her 58th birthday.

Ralph N. Paulk is a staff writer with the Richmond Times-Dispatch and the author of Jim O’Brien: Bucking the Odds.