Life after 50 doesn’t have to be slow or uneventful. Some people choose to fill it with new experiences and meaningful action, while others use the opportunity to help those around them.
Whether you’re nearing retirement or are already receiving your pension, there’s so much you can do to ensure the new life stage you are entering is a golden one.
The first and most important step is to believe in yourself and focus on what you can do – as the possibilities are endless.
Here are 11 inspirational women who prove that it’s never too late to pursue your goals and passions, and create an impact….
1. Tao Porchon-Lynch, 1918-2020 - the world's oldest yoga instructor
After discovering a passion for yoga in 1926, Tao Porchon-Lynch went on to study it and became the world’s oldest yoga instructor in 2012.
Witnessing her unstoppable energy and spirit, or watching her walk down the street in colourful dresses and high-heeled shoes, you’d wonder what magical secret she’d discovered that the rest of the world didn’t know.
But there was no secret; only her youthful thinking and healthy lifestyle made Tao such an inspiring figure.
Tao Porchon-Lynch embodied the Ageless Body concept, in the most simple and down-to-earth manner possible. She was a vegetarian, drove her own Smart car, did competitive dancing on the side, and even marched with both Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Junior.
The simple lesson – it’s difficult to feel old if you don’t let yourself.
2. Wendy Ida, 66 – the bodybuilding gran
If you happened to find Wendy’s lost purse on the street and returned it to her, you’d probably be amazed by the woman who opens the door. How can the date in the ID match what you’re seeing? Wendy Ida may be 66, but she has the physique of a 30-year-old.
But that’s hardly surprising when you think that she puts in hours at the gym every day. Ida started bodybuilding in her 40s. Since then, she’s won eight prestigious prizes and her weight dropped from 14 to nine stone.
Her story is not just one of a remarkable body transformation, but a reminder that 50+ is as good a time as any for us to start getting into the best shape of our lives.
3. Sister Madonna, 91 – the ‘Iron Nun’ and oldest triathlete
Marie Dorothy Buder – or Sister Madonna as she is better known – is the oldest woman to have finished an Ironman Triathlon which she completed at the age of 82.
A Catholic nun and Senior Olympian, she became interested in triathlons at the age of 52, and has taken part in over 400 triathlons worldwide since.
She cycles, runs, swims, and even made it into a Nike ad for the Rio Olympics in 2016. In interviews, she reminds people that “you’re never too old to learn new tricks”. If Sister Madonna isn’t, neither are we.
4. Judi Dench, 87 – the actress who keeps the Oscar nominations coming
Actors and actresses over the age of 50 often settle for minor roles, but not Judi Dench. Although she was a successful actress throughout her career, it was after she turned 60 that she bloomed on the screen.
What followed was a string of Oscar nominations that cemented her reputation as one of the most inspiring actresses of our time.
Dench has been vocal against the prejudices of the movie industry. “Age is a number,” she says, and “I’m tired of being told I’m too old to try something.”
Dench is a great example of how to not let others’ prejudices get in the way of your dreams. When you really want to do something, don’t let anyone tell you you’re too old for it – it’s as simple as that.
5. Iris Apfel, 100 – the Businesswoman and Fashion Icon who has her own Barbie Doll
When she’s not starring in commercials, Iris Apfel, 100, is simply herself, or better put, one of the most inspirational women over 60 in the US.
During her long career as an interior designer, she renovated the White House repeatedly, and also found the time to travel the world, amassing an eclectic wardrobe in the process.
In 2015, when she was 84, The Metropolitan Museum of Art honoured her with an exhibition that transformed her into what she called a ‘geriatric starlet’. Today, she has her own version of the Barbie doll made in her honour and tops many lists featuring 60+-year-old female celebrities.
But Iris Apfel teaches more than style and endurance. She teaches that when something excites you, whatever it is, you should go for it. Never mind your age.
Remembering Iris Apfel (1921-2024)
American interior designer and fashion influencer Iris Apfel sadly passed away on March 1st, 2024 at the age of 102 years old. At Rest Less, we have regularly featured Iris for her entrepreneurship, sense of style, and emphasis on positive ageing, and we will continue to remember her as an inspiration and example to all.
Our thoughts are with Iris’ friends, family, and anyone who loved her. May she rest in peace.
6. Lyse Doucet, 63 - BBC’s Chief International Correspondent
Canadian journalist Lyse Doucet is the BBC’s award winning Chief International Correspondent and has been reporting for the BBC for nearly 30 years.
A renowned correspondent for some of the world’s toughest war zones, much of her work has been centred around international conflicts and natural disasters including the war in Afghanistan, Yemen, Ukraine, the Indian Ocean tsunami, and Pakistan floods.
Lyse Doucet has a fascinating podcast ‘How I Found My Voice’ available on Apple Podcasts where she explains some of the most significant moments that shaped her and her career.
7. Diana Nyad, 72 - the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida
Diana Nyad is a world-class swimmer who, on her fifth attempt at the age of 64, became the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida.
Diana swam for 53 hours from Havana to Key West with no shark cage. Her success came after four failed attempts to complete the 110 mile swim, when asthma attacks, jellyfish stings, and large storms had got in the way.
Aside from swimming, Diana Nyad is an author, journalist, and motivational speaker who, speaking from her own experience, encourages women to never give up on their dreams – no matter how old they are.
8. Michelle Obama, 58 - American attorney, author, and First Lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017
Michelle Obama was the first African American First Lady of the United States and she has been admired for her continued efforts to support and inspire young people. She has also become a powerful advocate for women around the world.
Her Let’s Move! initiative which launched in 2010 has brought parents, schools, community leaders, and medical professionals together to tackle the issue of childhood obesity – something which is a growing problem in the US.
In 2014, she also started the Reach Higher initiative to inspire young people to strive towards their goals and complete their education past high school. And in 2015, her Let Girls Learn campaign was launched to encourage and support girls around the world to go to school and stay in school.
As well as inspiring young people around the world, Michelle has always been incredibly open about her struggles with racism, relationships, parenting, mental health, and her work – making her one the most relatable and inspiring First Ladies of all time.
9. Dolly Parton, 76 - American singer-songwriter and country music icon
Debuting with her first album in 1967, Dolly Parton has had, and continues to have, a storied career as a singer-songwriter, a businesswoman, and even an actress. Famous for her monumental contributions to the genre of country music – with 25 number one hits on the Billboard country charts – Parton now produces via her own record label, Dolly Records.
Eleven Grammy Awards and 50 nominations is more than enough for anyone to call it a day, but not for this singer. Alongside her massive music career, Parton also co-owns a number of theme parks and restaurant theatres under The Dollywood Company.
On top of all that, she’s also the founder of multiple charitable organisations, including the Dollywood Foundation, which works to relieve poverty and boost education in her home state of Tennessee.
Dolly Parton’s iconic career goes to show that you don’t need to stick to one thing in life – you can follow your ambitions in multiple directions.
10. Baroness Doreen Lawrence, 69 - British Jamaican campaigner and the mother of Stephen Lawrence
Baroness Doreen Lawrence is the mother of Stephen Lawrence, who was murdered at just 18-years-old in an unprovoked racist attack. Stephen was set upon and stabbed while waiting at a bus stop in South East London in 1993, and Doreen’s life was turned upside down.
After Stephen died, Doreen channelled all her energy into campaigning to bring her son’s killers to justice. She claimed that police were not investigating the crime properly because her son was black, and went on to become a prominent figure in the British Civil Rights movement.
Her work contributed to the creation of the Macpherson report – a document that led to important changes in policing and the law, with regards to institutional racism and the treatment of racist crimes.
Doreen also founded the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust (now called Blueprint for all). This is a charity that works with communities, organisations, and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to help them develop new skills, succeed in a career of their choice, and build stronger communities.
In 2003, Doreen was awarded an OBE for services to community relations and has since been made a Life Peer in the House of Lords. She’s also a patron of charity Stop Hate UK and has been asked to sit on panels within the police service and Home Office.
11. Cynthia Marshall, 62 - CEO of NBA team the Dallas Mavericks
Cynthia ‘Cynt’ Marshall is an incredibly important and inspiring part of sports history, and not because of her athletic achievements (although she did become the first-ever black cheerleader at the University of California, Berkley in the 1970s).
Instead, Marshall’s most incredible achievement, although one of many, was becoming the National Basketball Association’s first-ever female, black Chief Executive Officer in February of 2018.
Having been born in the South during the Jim Crow era, raised in poverty, and survived domestic abuse as well as cancer, Marshall is certainly no stranger to overcoming adversity.
After a 36-year-long stint at telecommunications company AT&T, Marshall was hired specifically by owner Mark Cuban to tackle toxic workplace culture at the Dallas Mavericks. And since then, she’s been hard at work improving the environment within her own franchise, as well as the wider world of sports.
Now it’s your turn…
In the end, what do all these inspirational women over 50 have in common? Whether they’re running marathons, doing yoga, or gathering Oscar nominations, they’re not letting age get in the way.
They’re focusing on the things that they are really passionate about, and on what they can do, not what they can’t. It’s this that keeps them young and makes them an inspiration to all.