Age, as the saying goes, is just a number. At 80 years old, most people slow down. Some are forced to take a step back. And some presidents decide to keep working. But for two remarkable women, 80 was not too late to chase their dreams. They embarked on a very special adventure and proved that determination, courage, and passion can carry us farther than we ever imagined.

Betty Kellenberger: Conquering the Appalachian Trail

At 80 years old, Betty Kellenberger has etched her name into the record books as the oldest woman ever to hike the entire 2,200-mile Appalachian Trail, which stretches from Georgia to Maine.

Betty the Legend: She earned her trail name and finished the Appalachian Trail after several attempts. Photo: Betty Kellenberger

Her first attempt began in 2022 and was anything but easy. Her hiking partner had to leave the trail after a fall. Kellenberger continued, but battled dehydration, endured a concussion after a fall, and even contracted Lyme disease from a tick bite. She was also forced to leave the trail and tried again in 2023. This time alone, as her hiking partner, a US Navy veteran, couldn’t make it. She had to give up after a bad fall. And then her hiking partner died. That’s when she decided to try it again, to honor her friend and his service to the country, she says.

A knee replacement surgery delayed her start in 2024 by several months, but she finally set out again in August. One month later, a hurricane forced her to pause her southbound trek. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy offered hikers the chance to return in 2025 and complete the trail under modified policies.

Kellenberger did that and continued in March 2025. Counting the attempts in the years before, she says she hiked much of the trail twice. And this time nothing could stop her. She pressed on and eventually got a trail name: Betty the Legend. And shortly before she reached the trail’s northern terminus in Maine, people learned of her age and told her that she could set a record.

*“This life is a journey. Maybe it’s a series of small journeys. And the greater your effort, the greater the reward,” says Kellenberger. Photo: Betty Kellenberger*

Kellenberger had dreamed of this hike since elementary school, as she recalls. And now she made it. Reflecting on her journey, Kellenberger said, “You see incredible parts of the country, things you’d never see otherwise. So much wildlife. It’s just beautiful.” What meant the most to her, though, were the people she met along the way. Fellow hikers, so-called trail angels, and strangers who became friends.

She’s proud to have completed the trail but admits she’ll miss the peace and serenity of hiking in nature. “This life is a journey. Maybe it’s a series of small journeys. And the greater your effort, the greater the reward,” she says. Her advice to others is to stay active, set a goal and work toward it. Don’t rush to reach it, but live each day. And: “Don’t let other people’s fears stop you. There will always be someone who thinks you should stay on the couch where you’ll be safe.”

Natalie Grabow: Iron Will at the Ironman

Equally inspiring is Natalie Grabow, also 80, who became the oldest woman to complete the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii. As a young woman, Grabow dreamed of competing in races, but opportunities for female athletes were limited at the time. “We had cheerleading to do, but that was about it,” she says. “We didn’t have sports like the boys had.” She started running later in her life. As her friends tried triathlons, she didn't join them because she'd never learned to swim.

But that couldn’t hold her back for long. She went to the local YMCA pool and learned to swim when she was 59 years old. And that was just the beginning. Since then, she has steadily built her endurance and resilience, culminating in her triumphant finish at Kona.

The Ironman is not an ordinary triathlon but an extraordinary feat: nearly four kilometers of open-water swimming, 180 kilometers of cycling, and a full marathon to close it out. In the grueling Hawaiian heat. This year, sixty younger competitors dropped out before the finish line. Grabow, however, pushed through and crossed it. She was the only competitor in the 80-or-older age group, men included.

Natalie Grabow is the first woman over 80 to finish the Ironman Kona.

Grabow has now finished 16 Ironmans and another 77 triathlons since she taught herself to swim. And she’s still hungry for more. She wants to become the oldest woman to finish an Ironman. The current record holder finished Ironman Canada at age 82.

Her biggest challenge is not the distance but the time. Racers have 17 hours to reach the finish line. It took Grabow 16 hours, 45 minutes and 26 seconds, which is 3 minutes faster than her finish time in 2022. But there is not much margin for error, as she says. That’s why she basically lives for her races.

Grabow starts her training days early with breakfast, followed by stretching and mobility work. “That becomes more important as you age”, she says. Her workouts then include two of the three triathlon disciplines: running, swimming, and biking. Her coach keeps track of her times and Grabow focuses on keeping her engine going. “Food is very important. I eat about five times a day”, she says. She does not have a particular diet and also eats sweets and chocolates.

Her advice to others: Build a regular habit of movement first and aim for consistency. Modify your workouts based on how you feel. Schedule rest days. Incorporate mobility sessions and active recovery (walking, yoga, light swimming), especially as you age. Choose a goal that motivates you and is achievable with incremental steps. This gives purpose to your training and provides motivation.

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