This Grandmother is the Oldest Woman to Finish the Ironman World Championship
An 80-year-old woman is proving that determination has no age limit.
When you put your mind to something, anything is possible. That’s certainly the case when it comes to big championships, including the Ironman World Championship. The annual triathlon in Hawaii, United States, draws in competitors from all over the globe.
In a pivotal moment, Natalie Grabow, an 80-year-old woman from the United States, became the oldest woman to finish the Ironman Triathlon, according to Hindustan Times. Her achievement challenges stereotypes about aging and competing in intense sports. She’s also inspiring people of all ages to stay active.
A Groundbreaking Ironman Accomplishment
Grabow completed the Kona Ironman World Championship in Hawaii, which you have to finish in under 17 hours, in 16 hours, 45 minutes, and 26 seconds. She’s now broken a record, becoming the oldest female to finish the largest, worldwide full-distance triathlon event.
The grandmother, who hails from New Jersey, plunged into the waters of Kailua Bay, NPR reports. She swam 2.4 miles and then hopped on her bicycle to ride 112 miles on a highway twisting through lava fields and coastal crosswinds. She then ran the 26.2-mile road course, the length of a marathon, where parts contribute to an elevation gain of over 1,000 feet.
“I am so happy and grateful that I can still race in this sport at my age,” Grabow tells NPR. “Triathlon allows me to feel strong both mentally and physically, and it satisfies my competitive spirit,” she adds.
When Grabow passed through the finish line, the first person to greet her was the woman whose record she just broke. Cherie Gruenfeld, who embraced Grabow, became the oldest female ever to finish the same race in 2022, at the age of 78.
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Two Decades in the Making
As the sole entrant in the 80–84 age group in the championship, success did not happen overnight. It’s part of a 20-year process, where she’s won shorter Ironman 70.3-mile events, known as a half Ironman.
For most of Grabow's life, she also didn't know how to swim. She decided to change that, so she could face an even bigger challenge — doing a triathlon. “In 2005, the same year I turned 60, I started learning to swim,” she explains. Later that year, she decided to participate in a sprint triathlon, one of the shortest triathlon distances. But by 2006, she came to Kona with her eyes set on the full-distance Ironman course. “This was her 11th Ironman World Championships in Kona,” says her coach, Michelle Lake of Fiv3 Racing.
An Inspiration Breaking Barriers
While Grabow has spoken about how girls and women didn't have many options for sports when she grew up, she became a dedicated runner during her career as a software engineer, though she often faced setbacks from injuries. “The cross-training aspect of triathlon appealed to me, and this type of training reduced getting injured,” Grabow says. “Seeing my running friends take up triathlons motivated me to try it for both the challenge and the fun.”
So what are Grabow’s tips for prospective athletes? “My advice to others is to listen to your body, take time off when you need to and, most importantly, just enjoy the journey,” Grabow explains.
After this remarkable feat, Grabow plans to take some time off ahead of training and races next year. “I've already signed up to do two 70.3 [half Ironman distance] races in 2026: Eagleman in June and Musselman in July,” she says, adding that she's looking for at least one more race to add to the first half of the year. Grabow’s hard work and determination show that you can accomplish anything you set your mind to at any age.
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