Dressage rider Mary Hanna breaks record for Australia’s oldest Olympian
Dressage rider Mary Hanna breaks record for Australia’s oldest Olympian
The 61-year-old grandmother surpassed the record set by equestrian rider Bill Roycroft set back in 1976.
And she’s already making plans to do it all again, with plans to compete at the 2020 Games in Tokyo with her daughter Gitte Donvig.
Speaking to The Australian, she said: “One of the reasons I love this sport so much is that you get better the more you do it. You have to be fit and supple but it’s the only sport where men and women compete equally and no one thinks about how old you are.”
She isn’t the only older athlete showing age is no barrier, with teammate Sue Hearn making her Olympic debut at 60 and New Zealand riders Julie Brougham, 62, and Mark Todd, 60, also making their mark.