She's a world-class racer at 65 | members only

At 19, I was a professional skateboarder, and often the only girl in the race. Women weren't taken seriously in the sport back then. One guy actually told me, "I'll never

consider you a pro, because you're a female." But that just motivated me more. Then in the early '80s, most of the skateparks closed because of liability lawsuits. Suddenly,

the downhill and slalom races I’d been racing dried up. For about 20 years, I stopped competing. Worked as a graphic designer, got married, had kids. When slalom racing started to get

popular again in the early 2000s, a guy I knew from the old days encouraged me to race. Slalom is a downhill race on a closed road, where you weave between cones. It requires strength,

dexterity and balance. I never thought I'd still be skating today, not to mention improving. I'm going faster than I've gone in my whole career, in part because the equipment

has gotten better. The hills we're racing are faster and steeper, too. I've turned 65 and I'm racing against teenagers. At the World Skate Games in Italy last year, I came in

third among U.S. women overall. Maggie Harrison, a 14-year-old girl I’ve been mentoring, was just ahead of me. Judi Oyama skateboarding in California. Gregg Segal Working out has been key to

my longevity as an athlete. Barbell lifting is key for bone density and balance. I deadlift over 200 pounds. I’m helping motivate 40- and 50-year-olds. Mountain bikers and snowboarders send

me messages that say, "Just saw your video. You made me realize I could keep going." My biggest fear is burdening my kids when I get older. My mother had dementia, and now my

father has it. That has motivated me to stay active. I may race against kids now, but I still feel like a kid myself. People ask me whether skateboarding isn't too dangerous at my age,

but I figure I could get hurt walking down the stairs. I've tripped over stuff and fallen on pavement. At least when I'm on my board, I have protective gear on.