She is a little older than her cohort life expectancy at birth (which was 78 in the USA in 1945):
https://www.ssa.gov/oact/TR/2011/lr5a4.html
Assessed in 2010 at the age of 65 she might be expected to live to 85. That seems quite likely.
If anything you would have to say it leans towards extending her life because she will not be eating less like elderly people do, she is likely to have excellent venous health, her reaction times must be good, and prosaically she's so physically fit that just that much more likely not to be derailed by a fall.
What a remarkable woman.
(And assessing the average woman of her age now is not likely to change it that much; AFAIK life expectancy in the USA is actually falling slightly across all age groups)
The issue is, she's not an average woman, at least in terms of physical fitness.
Boring example but an obese woman with type II diabetes her age might already have had one life-threatening fall, may already have other severe health challenges.
Whereas a woman her age with such good vascular health could be delaying the onset of significant vascular dementia by up to a decade, let alone all the other things.
Still, the point I was making is that it is not shortening her life; it's either having no statistical difference or extending it.
yet all the difference for people her age
Full triathlon distance has nothing to do with health.
This gives me some hope about learning some new sports late in my life.
Of all the old folks I know in their 80’s the happiest and healthiest are, and have always been, the active ones who still do circuits classes, swim, gym, etc.
Keep your elderly loved ones in your life moving and they’ll last a lot longer.
Just when I thought she couldn't be even more awesome.
PS. If you're inspired by this story, this video might be a great watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3J07O6dViHo
artur_makly•57m ago
2muchcoffeeman•19m ago
Don’t leave getting fit to your thirties or later. Start now.
Synaesthesia•17m ago