Older Women Set Records, Pursue Global Titles

Older women are drawing attention for remarkable athletic and adventurous achievements. Florida grandmother Michelle Galloway, who began weightlifting in her 50s, holds three world records and is pursuing a fourth, while Canadian grandmother DonnaJean Wilde set a new women’s record by planking for five hours. At 99, Helga Duffy became the oldest wing-walker after completing a flight in England, using the occasion to raise money for an air ambulance charity. Separately, South African great-grandmother Nowanele Yucu Mvuza turned 118, prompting local officials to seek Guinness verification of her status as the world’s oldest living person; her health is deteriorating, and her community hopes the attention will help bring improvements to her rural village.