This is a little dated now, but I wanted to post what 41-year-old Olympic swimmer Dara Torres said in a televised interview right after helping win the silver for the United States women’s relay team.

The interviewer pointed out that Dara’s two-year-old daughter Tessa won’t remember this Olympics, so what will Dara tell her? Dara responded that she’d tell her:

“You don’t have to put an age limit on your dreams.”

What do you think? Is she right?

Obviously with Torres as Exhibit A, we would have to admit that the upper age limit on competitive swimming needs to be re-evaluated.

Are there age limits on our dreams?

Are there any limits on our dreams?

For your consideration, here are some inspiring examples of people overcoming what would normally be viewed as “limits”:

• Grandma Moses, who took up painting very late in life (some say she started in her 60s, others cite that she began when she was in her 70s).
• Amputees with artificial legs competing in marathons and the Ironman Triathlon.
• The 33-year-old gymnast winning a silver medal in vaulting at this year’s Olympics (quotable quote: “I could go to London in 2012…I will only be 37″).
• A 38-year-old Romanian woman (a mom) winning the Olympic marathon.
• And of course 41-year-old Dara Torres securing the silver in the Olympic 50 meter freestyle and the women’s 400 meter medley relay (at least I think I got that right–I already messed up Torres’ name, so I’m unsure of myself when listing her accomplishments).
• That surfer gal who lost an arm in a shark attack. She had barely recuperated, and went right back out there to ride the waves. She said she wants “to encourage other people to follow their dreams despite obstacles that seem insurmountable.”

Is that sufficient evidence not to place any age limits on our dreams?

 

What do you think?

 

What’s your dream?

 

Do you feel that too many limitations keep you from pursuing it?