This 86-Year-Old Nun-Turned-Triathlete Is Proof That It’s Never Too Late to Start Working Out

SMB: A priest I met in Oregon suggested I take it up to strengthen my body and my mind. Four years later, I got into triathlons, for the variety. Competing in races helps me feel connected to others, united with a common goal. And, of course, staying fit and healthy means I can be of service to others longer.

Try these beginner-friendly bodyweight moves if you just started working out: 

RELATED: 5 Things That Happened When I Tried Walking 20,000 Steps a Day 

WH: Take us through your training schedule.

SMB: Like most people these days, I live a nonstop kind of existence, so most of my training is functional—I run to church in the morning, or bike to the jail, where I read scripture to inmates. You just have to squeeze it in. I can put in seven miles a day just going about my activities. Having competed for more than 33 years, I’m lucky to still be able to move. (Stay nimble with Women’s Health’s With Yoga DVD!) 

WH: How long will you keep competing?

SMB: My last competition was the Triathlon World Championships in Cozumel, in September. This year, we’ll see; I plan only one day at a time. My grandmother taught me that. She used to say, “The past is dead and gone, never to return. The future is not the future when it gets here. So all you’re responsible for is the present moment, and the future will take care of itself.”

This article originally appeared in the January/February 2017 issue of Women’s Health. For more older women who inspire us, pick up a copy, on newsstands now.