In this world, time is constantly moving. Seconds turn to minutes, minutes to hours, hours to days, days to weeks, etc. In retrospect, time can feel like a burden as it carries on without a pause. Thinking back on experiences and opportunities missed, it can be easy to dwell on what could have been. Thoughts such as, “if only I started earlier” or “if only I chose that career, sport, or hobby when I had the opportunity” can spur in one’s mind.
Last year, CNN released a news report where a 63-year-old figure skater named Rhea Schwartz was interviewed. As it turns out, Rhea Schwartz was dared to ice skate for the first time when she was 30-years old. It soon became a growing passion and she went on to help create and perform in the U.S. Adult Figure Skating Championships.
Being “young” or pursuing something in youth is not the requirement for success. Women of all different ages and backgrounds have pursued their passions and goals and come out on top. Here are 6 examples:
Julia Child
Julia Child first learned to cook when she was 40 years old and then went on to write her first cookbook at the age of 50. Before this, she worked in the advertising field for most of her life. After she published her cookbook, Child became successful as a celebrity chef, author, and cooking teacher. As quoted by Child, “Find something you’re passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it.”
Vera Wang
Vera Wang is a name familiar to most and specifically popular among fans of fashion. Most people might not know that the successful American fashion designer did not enter the industry until she was 40 years old. Based in New York, Wang is now 71 years old and known for her iconic wedding dress designs. In her infamous and inspirational quote, Wang shared that “Success isn’t about the end result, it’s about what you learn along the way.”
Courtney Cox
Courtney Cox, AKA, Monica Geller from the famous 90s sitcom Friends did not begin her acting career until her 20s. Today, she is recognized as an actress, director and producer. Cox has starred in numerous famous movies and TV shows such as Scream, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Modern Family and Seinfeld.
Cox is not the only actress to have made it despite not starting as a child. Just to name a few others, Harrison Ford, Viola Davis, Melissa McCarthy, and Steve Carrell were fashionably late to their acting careers. Harrison Ford once quoted, “We all have big changes in our lives that are more or less a second chance.”
Anna Mary Robertson Moses
Anna Mary Robertson Moses, also known as Grandma Moses, started her painting career when she was 78 years old. Her work can be found on greeting cards and even in museums globally. She orchestrated beautiful art pieces that portrayed colorful landscapes and towns. In 1953, Moses was put on the cover of TIME magazine. As quoted by Moses, “Life is what we make it. Always has been, always will be.”
Priscilla Welch
Priscilla Welch is a retired marathon runner from Britain who competed in the Olympics and multiple marathons globally. She first began running competitively at the age of 35. Before this, Welch had a long history of smoking a pack of cigarettes a day.
Despite her age and history deeming her an unlikely candidate for marathon running, she broke the British record twice by finishing in sixth place at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and second place at the 1987 London Marathon. On top of these two successes, she also won the 1987 New York City Marathon at the age of 43. As quoted by Welch, “If you want to become the best runner you can be, start now. Don’t spend the rest of your life wondering if you can do it.”
Rachel Platten
Rachel Platten is an American songwriter, singer, and author who began her professional career in her 30s. Her first independent album was released in 2003 when she was 22 years old. Platten did not begin her career as a professional singer/songwriter until she was 33 years old when she made her debut with the now popular song Fight Song. In 2015, she signed with Columbia Records. Her lyrics preach perseverance through the lines “I don’t really care if nobody else believes, ’cause I’ve still got a lot of fight left in me.”
Final Thoughts…
Time can make life decisions and pursuing goals feel like a rushed opportunity-window that will eventually pass. Time and age do not have to be dream barriers. So be courageous, shoot for the stars and pursue your passions, even if they feel a million miles away. These six women proved that it was not their age that stood in the way but rather their own decision to start.