Carole, age 63, never imagined herself as a senior athlete—much less a track and field champion. What began as a step towards taking better care of her health evolved into a quest for medals and records in her later years.
In her late 40s, Carole began to notice signs that something was not right with her body. She felt fatigue as well as muscle and joint pains. At 48, Carole sought out the help of specialists. Two years later, at the age of 50, a doctor diagnosed her with rheumatoid arthritis, a disease that affected her joints, heart, and lungs.
In the face of adversity, Carole harnessed her willpower to overcome this health challenge.
“I had to make a choice and I asked myself, ‘Do you want to live or not?’ I made the choice and said, ‘I want to live. I’m going to fight.’
“Your health is worth the fight. You don’t win if you don’t fight,” Carole said.
Carole began to change her daily lifestyle through an improved diet and exercise but soon encountered another health challenge that would test her fortitude. Her asthma, her compromised immune system in combination with her age, all put her at increased risk for severe respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, which she was diagnosed with in her late 50s.
“RSV is a common, contagious respiratory virus,” says Dr. Leonard Friedland, Vice President and Director, Scientific Affairs and Public Health for GSK Vaccines. “Symptoms can include fever, headache, fatigue, congestion, runny nose, and trouble breathing. Symptoms of RSV can range from mild to severe and can typically last up to 2 weeks. People at increased risk for severe RSV include adults 50 years of age and older with some underlying medical conditions such as congestive heart failure, asthma, and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease).”
It is estimated that, for adults aged 65 and older, approximately 177,000 hospitalizations are caused by RSV each year in the U.S. Of those cases, 14,000 people are estimated to die from RSV every year.
“There are options to help protect against severe RSV. If you are 50-74 with certain chronic conditions, or 75 and older, you should speak with your doctor or pharmacist to see if you are at risk of severe illness from RSV and discuss if vaccination may be an appropriate option for you,” Dr. Friedland said.
“When I had RSV, it was very difficult to breathe,” Carole shared. “I had been sick before, but I didn’t see this one coming.”
As Carole recovered from RSV and regained her strength, she saw a story about a competitive swimmer that changed the trajectory of her life.
“This senior swimmer had set records, and she won medals in the National Senior Games, and I said, ‘Wait, that’s a thing?’” Carole remembered. “I thought, well, if they’ve got swimming, they probably have track and field. I think that’s something I’d like to try.”
In her late 50s, Carole took up the javelin, the discus and the hammer throw.
After seeing this and experiencing RSV, Carole had a renewed focus on health and began having more proactive conversations with her doctor, including ways to prevent severe infection. So, when RSV vaccination became available in 2023, Carole talked to her doctor about getting vaccinated.
“It was seeing someone that was over 50 that decided that she wasn’t going to let being over 50 stop her from enjoying her life. That resonated with me because that’s how I feel,” Carole said.
Through her training, Carole not only found a way to stay in shape and improve her physical health, but also improve her social well-being by finding a community of other like-minded senior athletes.
“Initially, I had no idea about her health issues,” her training teammate, Ursula, said. “As we were talking one day, she showed me some pictures of what she looked like. She told me about the difficulties and the challenges and I was like, ‘Oh my god, and you’re doing all this?’ I’m just waiting for her next big moment, like an American or international record. She is amazing.”
With every throw and every competition, Carole wasn’t just turning heads at the track, but also in her own home. “She is extraordinary,” says her husband, Eddie. “She is top of her game on just about anything she tries to do.”
Carole has three sons and knows that her example can have a tremendous impact on their future. “I want them to see that age is not a reason to give up their goals or to not pursue something new. I want my grandkids to know that grandma can catch you, you’re not getting away.”
“She loves to take the kids to the park and she even bought them a mini-javelin. That way they could get a little bit of exposure to what grandma does,” noted her daughter-in-law, Sydney.
Carole’s training led her to her first National Senior Games, a biennial event featuring more than 12,000 athletes age 50 and over competing in more than 25 sports. In 2025 in Des Moines, Iowa, competing against the nation’s top athletes in her age group, Carole proudly walked away with a silver medal in the hammer throw competition with a distance of 10 feet, 2.83 inches. This adds to a bronze medal that she took home from the 2024 World Championships. After receiving her medal in Iowa, Carole reflected on the life lessons her journey has brought her.
“It’s been a road, but it’s been a road of gratitude. Sometimes we take that for granted. The fact that I’m standing here as an athlete says a lot,” Carole said.
“The life lesson is to be grateful for opportunities. Make the most of them, and when you do, leave a little something behind to inspire somebody else. Even if it’s just a wave, or ‘great job’ or a smile. I think that’s the moral of the story.”
Carole certainly has left something behind for all of us—the blueprint for active longevity, with three simple keys. Find a way to stay physically active as you age, embrace the benefits of social connection with others, and take an active role in your personal healthcare with preventive measures, like regular visits to your doctor and staying current with recommended vaccinations like RSV.
Carole is just one of the thousands of senior athletes who are redefining aging. What was once viewed as a time of loss and limitation is now being accepted as a period of possibility and potential. Watch our national TV special below featuring Carole and other athletes just like her, and visit SidelineRSV.com to learn more about RSV risks and prevention.
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NPUS-RVUWCNT250027 October 2025
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