Masters Athlete. Finally want to follow my dreams

NotSoProGolfer
NotSoProGolfer Posts: 2 Member
in Introduce Yourself
I was never a very active kid. Never played many sports, but did a lot of outdoor activities. That much said also a lot of sitting, I was coding before coding was cool.

In the last few years I have taken to golf and love it, but also realize my size is getting in my way of being my best self. I was never an athlete but now is my moment and would love your support from other masters athletes

Replies

  • Alinouveau2
    Alinouveau2 Posts: 6,399 Member
    Hey it's never too late to start. I organized a figure skating team for the winter world masters games in January of 2020 (I couldn't skate myself because I had just had shoulder surgery). On that team was a beginner in her late 20s and a woman in her mid 60s. Just keep working at it you can do it
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 33,735 Member
    I was one of those "picked in the last few" in gym class people, so can relate to the "never an active kid" idea. Also, I was in an IT career for 30 years (I'm retired now, age 65). Still, starting in my mid-40s, I came to consider myself a masters athlete, when I started rowing under a *great* coach, and competed on-water and in machine races . . . not always unsuccessfully.

    That first coach was very strong on the idea that people who are working to improve their physical performance are *athletes*. She had us do an exercise where we wrote down 3 things that would have to happen, before we would consider ourselves "an athlete". I wrote these down, tucked them away . . . ran across the paper a few years later, and found that I had accomplished those things. (It was things like "finish 'in the pack' at races, not way dead last", not "win the Olympics" 😉).

    I think many/most people who say or write "I'm not an athlete, but . . . " (I trained for a 5K, am improving my powerlifting PRs, whatever) . . . are *athletes*, and should own it proudly. It makes me happy to see you doing that.

    I have to admit, I'm a crummy MFP friend (more of a Community forum gal, to be honest), but I wanted to let you know that your post resonated with me, and to encourage you to pursue your stretch goals. I was active and competing for around a dozen years, while still overweight/obese, before losing weight. Reaching a healthy weight made not just performance improvements, but also improved my overall quality of life. You can do this!

    Wishing you much success!

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