Coping with Aging - Using our Giftedness

Eric Liddell, Olympic Gold Medalist, was reprimanded by his sister for neglecting his responsibilities before God as he devoted his focus toward competitive running. ... Liddell said, “I believe that God made me for a purpose. For China. But He also made me fast, and when I run, I feel His pleasure.” Liddell served as a missionary teacher in China until his death in a Japanese civilian internment camp in 1945.[1]

Coping with Aging—Using our Giftedness

I am intrigued by the story of Marie Dorothy Buder, who was born July 24, 1930. She is also known as the “Iron Nun.” Madonna Buder is a Roman Catholic religious sister and Senior Olympian triathlete from Spokane, Washington. She is the oldest woman to ever successfully complete an Ironman Triathlon. At 82 she finished the Subaru Ironman Canada on August 26, 2012.[2]

“WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE TO GET OLD”

was a question Sister Madonna Buder was asked at age 88. She said, “I am less concerned with outward appearances—things like what I wear, how my hair looks, and what others think of me.”

Good advice to anyone and certainly to those of us who have become identified as COVID 19 “vulnerables,”—as in defenseless? unprotected? sitting ducks? I mean, really. Is this who we are?

Sister Buder was introduced to the sport of running when she was 47. A priest told her it was “a great way to harmonize mind, body and soul.” The idea appealed to her, so she says, “I laced up my sneakers and hit the pavement.” Her start wasn’t pretty but soon she found running to be a pleasurable experience and she became good at it. Very good.

THREE YEARS IN

she decided to run in a 14-mile race up Mount Evans in Colorado. “Next, I was introduced to triathlons. Eventually, I was encouraged by a running buddy to attempt an Ironman Triathlon, which consists of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile run, all of which has to be completed within 17 hours.

IN 2006, SHE FINISHED THE HAWAII IRONMAN

in just under 17 hours. In 2012, she completed the Subaru Ironman in Canada—becoming the oldest woman, at 82, to complete an Ironman race. She has completed at least 389 triathlons, including 45 Ironman distances.

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.”[3]

Buden says, “While running even a short distance feels taxing now, I have a goal to finish another triatholon at 90. I am still not used to being the oldest person at races. What I do know, however, is that running is a gift I received from God, and when he gives you a gift, you are expected to use it. When I first took up running, my newfound joy was not supported by the sisters I lived with, who considered this undertaking inappropriate for a nun.

“WHILE RUNNING OUT IN GOD’S NATURE

I would find a sense of calm and wellbeing. One day, it struck me that our problems are so minimal compared to the magnificence that surrounds us. The sport has taught me to be grateful for all that God gives us—even the injuries. In 2014, I had three major accidents within a 16-month period. The second resulted in a torn meniscus. The doctor recommended surgery, but I decided against it, went home and prayed, “God, help me do my best, and you do the rest. Now I use this prayer for everything and introduce it to others, especially to those I visit in jail as a volunteer.

“From my running to my injuries, I have learned that there are many benefits to aging. Some are obvious: senior discounts on some airlines and at movies and restaurants; government assistance through Social Security and Medicare. However, by far the greatest is the wealth of wisdom acquired through years of experience that can be shared. In European and Asian cultures, seniors are revered. By contrast, in the United States, we are not taught to value the gifts older citizens can provide.”

WHEN PEOPLE ASK BUDEN FOR ADVICE

on how to cope with aging, she says two suggestions come to mind. “First, remember yourself as a child. Imagine yourself as that little person skipping along without a care in the world. Second, never stop being that child. It will help you be pure, creative and authentic. I can still remember my mother more than once asking me, ‘Darling, can’t you act your age?’ At this point in my life, I am glad the answer was no.’

“I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.”[4]

[1] Chariots of Fire movie 1981

[2] What running taught the ‘Iron Nun’ about aging, March 18, 2019, America: the Jesuit Review. Used with permission.

[3] 1 Corinthians 9:24

[4] Luke 10:21