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A 50-Year-Old Woman Competed In The Olympic Speed Skating Trials, Bow To Her [VIDEO]

We Can Be Heroes

By Jan 2nd, 2014, 1:15 pm

Jacki Munzel is our hero. After abandoning a promising career in figure skating to overcome an eating disorder, working through knee and hip injuries, giving birth, and turning fifty, Munzel decided to get back on her skates and become one of the best speed skaters in the world. At the 2014 Olympic trials, she achieved a personal best by 13 seconds. If you want a little New Year’s inspiration, let Munzel be it.

This is already a landmark year for ladies in the Winter Olympics, as women have finally been given the opportunity to compete in ski jumping (there’s previously been no category for female ski jumpers because ? and also “reasons that totally make sense, guys”). 26-year-old Jessica Jerome will be leading the American women’s Olympic ski jump team in Sochi.

(via Jezebel)

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Sam Maggs - Associate Editor

Sam Maggs is a writer and televisioner, currently hailing from the Kingdom of the North (Toronto). Her first book, THE FANGIRL'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY will be out soon from Quirk Books. Sam’s parents saw Star Wars: A New Hope 24 times when it first came out, so none of this is really her fault.