Athletic grannies set records – and the gold standard for how to age well; the oldest competes aged 106
- Rambai Maan finished a 100-metre race aged 104, Bhagwani Devi Dagar, 96, took three discus golds at a recent world masters tournament. So what’s their secret?
- They and senior athletes like them combine regular exercise with a healthy diet and a positive outlook on life – and studies suggest they’re on the right track
Rambai Maan has clinched a fistful of gold medals since her athletics career took off in 2021. She found herself in the spotlight when she completed a 100-metre race at the National Masters Athletics Championship in 45.40 seconds.
The world’s top female sprinters take 11 seconds or less to cover that distance – but they’re a few decades younger than Maan, who is now 106.
Popularly called “super granny”, she was 104 when she stormed into the record books and has gone on to win 21 gold medals and five trophies in various sports events.
The matriarch from the northern Indian state of Haryana became a social media sensation. Top ministers sung her praises and women said they aspired to be like her. Teenagers clamoured for selfies with her.
How does she keep herself so fit?
“I have a simple formula for this: eat healthy, exercise and always be positive,” says the super centenarian who claims to “take no medicines, do all my household chores myself and run four kilometres daily”.
