Comments on: A Dara Torres Update

By: Kevin

Kevin — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 18:18:17 +0000

Hey Matt,
think before you make such an uneducated ageist remark. Any doctor that knows what the human body is capable of at 40 or 41 will tell you different. You can maintain what you have built during your earlier years for a 50 or 100 meter distance and than benefit from improved training techniques, improved technology-swim suits, improved mental toughness that plays a huge factor in competitive sports. Everything Dara Torres has done leading up to age 41 has culminated to bring her to her peak! A champion is not made overnight and now is her time to put everything together that she has acquired over time which would have been impossible for her to acquire at 15, 22, or 32. So yes it is possible at 41 to be the best you can be. If you do your homework, you will see quite a few articles, where physicians have come to the defense Of Dara Torres, to let those less educated know that her performances can be done without the aid of PEDs.

By: matt

matt — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 21:43:25 +0000

Athletes don’t peak at 41 without PEDs. Point blank, it doesn’t happen. Barry Bonds peaked at 38 for one reason: illegal performance enhancers. What exactly is the change Torres has made this past year and a half? She just decided to start training harder at age 40? We’re supposed to believe that her natural arc of physical maturation led her to set personal and American records at the age of 40?

There is giving the benefit of the doubt, and there is being absurd. Sure, she might be clean. But space aliens may have abducted Jimmy Hoffa.

By: George Smiley

George Smiley — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 06:31:28 +0000

Bob: I have to assume that you do not know Dara Torres. You should not presume to know who she is, what drives her, where she finds her struggles.

Her acomplishments speak for themselves. They are awesome.

By: Administrator

Administrator — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 16:19:51 +0000

Bob,

I understand exactly what you are saying. This isn’t a “normal” person in terms of training. On the flip side however, she is competing at the Olympic level, so it only makes sense for her to utilize every possible resource/advantage that she can (legal). If she has sponsors willing to fork out the cash, I can’t fault her for accepting. I’ve personally trained in some complete dumps. We always did fine, but I can’t say I would have turned away help.

So no, she isn’t an “average” person. She is still competing with others who have similar sponsorships at much younger ages however, and for that reason, I do respect what she has done.

And by the way, if I ever have a personal stretcher, please put me out of my misery.

Ross

By: bob

bob — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 02:31:14 +0000

Ross, one person has commented that she has a “team”. Exactly. Paid $100k a year. This is a lab specimen, not an athlete. This is not a person who throws around sandbags, smacks things with hammers, does fast pushups over cinder blocks, does burpees. Not a Ross website inspiration, just an indication of something everyone knows: with enough cash you can make things happen. This is not an average wife and mom, not at all. She does nothing but train. It’s what (once) the Olympics were around to de-emphasize and promote amateurism. I admire your approach to things and your admiration for people like Jack LaLanne. It’s real exercise, real results. Real humans too, not full time automatons. How many “Personal Stretchers” do you employ? For that matter, how many *impersonal* ones??? She isn’t worthy of mention here. She’s free of steroids, but also free of something they don’t test for in a cup of urine: a soul.

By: Phil

Phil — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 00:06:25 +0000

G’Day Ross,
I’ve seen many examples of people who have achieved as they grew to a more mature age. My grandfather didn’t start competition (triathlon and multi sports) until his late 20’s and early 30’s. He was very successful winning many events for his age category and even competed in the hawaiian ironman a couple of times at around 50 years old. He is now in his late 70’s and is competing in marathon adventure races (up to 9hrs long).

I know for a fact that the drugs he is taking are his medications and vitamins, but he puts in 100%. He can train sometimes two big sessions a day, puts in a lot of time into preparation. But the big thing i have noticed for his success, is the fact that he chose an interest in the sport and then commited to achieving goals within the sport. And i think that because he started in the sport later in life and chose to WANT to do this sport he put forth more effort.

DennisM commented that Dara is now performing better than she was during a 15 year professional career. But maybe that 7 year lay off was the catalyst to get that yearning to achieve and achieve big. She left the sport lived some of her life and then bouced back with a massive craving for swimming success.

Just my rant

By: Robert

Robert — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 21:46:29 +0000

I think playing by the rules goes without saying, so what I am about to say is not to disregard that obvious truth. We need to stop glorifying all the drugs and stuff as a society. What kind of message are the young people getting? Work your butt off (the message this site sends) or drugs will do the work for you. I have to believe, even those who “cheated” worked their butts off or they wouldn’t have gotten where they did. I only wish that more emphasis would be put on that in the media, so that the young folks would say to themselves ” I’ll just do the hard work, cheating means I am cheating myself”. After all, IMO, aside from the personal achievement, the next biggest value that an athlete has is to be an inspiration to others. Again, stop giving the drugs so much credit, and shift the emphasis to the hard work and countless hours of intelligent training that goes into making a champion, and we won’t have the next generation looking for the “easy (druggy) answers.

By: FFCombat

FFCombat — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 15:57:35 +0000

I think what’s also important to remember is that Dara Torres has an incredible training team. From the trainers to the dietitians to the massage therapists, she has the “best of the best”. I remember reading somewhere that she is sponsored by Toyota and a few other large sponsors.

So take an athlete who has been “out of commission” for a while, bring them back with the best team possible and I’d say her results are quite possible. Her body knows what to do when it enters the pool – swim. So while seven years may sound like a long time, it probably didn’t take her long to get back in the swing of things.

My point with all of this is if it were the average working person who tried to attempt this, I doubt they’d have the same success. They’d probably find that things have become significantly more difficult as they aged. With money, a top-notch training time, genetic potential and hard work, anything is possible.

I don’t believe for one second that Dara Torres is “pushing” anything. I think she knows what hard work is and is a gifted swimmer. I also think it helps greatly to be able to devote her life to training and swimming!

By: frankiegee

frankiegee — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 14:17:00 +0000

This has been a great debate, and I felt that I had to add to it because the Dana Torres video literally gave me chills, that’s how awe-inspiring it is. Maybe I’m naive, but I’m not at all surprised at Torres’ success BECAUSE of her age, not in spite of it. She knows so much more now about her body’s response to training, nutrition, technique, etc. that it’s no wonder why she’s blowing away swimmers half her age. Most importantly, you can tell by the look in her eyes and in the way she carries herself that it is her determination and mental fortitude that are responsible for her success. I guarantee you that whether she is an Olympic swimmer or a plumber, she will be the absolute best out there.

I don’t consider 41 or even 51 old anymore (maybe it’s because I’m 36). The knowledge and experience she’s acquired (and the fact that she partakes in a low-impact sport that has preserved her body). People who are whispering or accusing that she’s on something are simply HATERS. Rather than talk about people like Torres and wonder what athletes like her are on, haters should examine their own lives before they begin to criticize or cast judgement on others.

By: bret

bret — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 18:02:52 +0000

I’m 41, the oldest person at the gym where I train in boxing and MMA, and I get the “old man” comment a lot–yet I am in the best condition of anyone there–I watch others puke while I keep going strong and fast.

I’ve NEVER taken anything–steroids, HGH, etc.

If a person exercises constantly throughout their lives, it shouldn’t be a surprise when they are extremely competent physically, even if they’re considered “old”; to assume that middle-age automatically necessitates a decline in athleticism is foolish.