8 Over 80: Fascinating Exploits of People in Their 80s and Beyond

The internet loves a list, especially those that lionize the hustle-hard, kid-geniuses of typical “30 under 30” tallies. We’re taking a different route, inspired by 109-year-old Fauja Singh, the oldest person to ever run a marathon. His story is captured in Fauja Singh Keeps Going, a new children’s book by Simran Jeet Singh, who tells us:

“When we teach our kids to see the humanity in the people who seem most different from us, that’s how we learn to see the humanity in everyone we meet.”

Moved by the centenarian’s record-breaking accomplishments—including the fact that he is the first Sikh main character in a mass market children’s book—we asked Singh to share more incredible stories of people of a certain age who buck traditions and motivate people decades younger.

“There’s something really interesting about the way the elderly are considered in American society,” Singh said. “It’s not just that there is a negative perception, it’s that many people don’t even think of them at all. We don’t give voice to them and don’t respect them. We see them as a burden rather than a blessing. That’s an assumption I want to challenge.”

Though sadly, several of the people at the center of the stories below have passed away, their bravery, curiosity, and strength live on through their stories.