Workzone: 85-year-old athlete breaks world records

Deirdre Larkin's story proves that it is truly never too late to start something new. After hearing from her doctor that she was osteopenic (and would soon have osteoporosis), Deirdre decided to take action instead of letting the news get her down. 

Deirdre decided to hit the tar in her Randburg neighbourhood, taking small steps and eventually building up to running full races within four months of taking up the sport. This is quite incredible, especially given the former concert pianist's advanced age. 

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She tells Beautiful News that she never worried about how old she was: "I never thought twice about how old I was. I just started... I wanted to try running. You're never too old to start trying."

Deirdre has competed in numerous races, and currently has 85 medals to her name, according to Huffington Post South Africa.

When she ran a half marathon in Geneva, she completed it in two hours and five minutes (2:05), earning herself the world half marathon record for her age group. 

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Deirdre is just at the beginning of her late career as an athlete, and still wants to do much more. "I certainly hope I won't be slowing down soon," she tells Beautiful News.