The American track-and-field wizard, Florence 'Flo' Meiler, stepped on the athletic pedestal at 60 years old. Since then, she has set 35 world records, and she still keeps pushing the stage ahead.

Against all odds, Meiler signed herself up for the masters tracks in Vermont State Senior Games courtesy of her friend Barbara Jordan, who convinced her to take up a sporting discipline. In no time, the podiums became a frequent visit, with over 800 medals!

In an interview with Seven Days TV, the sorceress let the cat out of the bag about her fitness philosophy. The secret? Make grinding your new play.

"I’m very proud of what I’ve been able to do,” she said. “But people should know that none of this stuff is easy. I train six days a week. You have to work hard and keep at it."

As someone who's often found in the University of Vermont’s Gucciardi Fitness Center, even on a chilly 9 am morning, preparing for her grueling field disciplines, including pole vaulting, high jumping, hurdling, javelin throwing, steeple chasing, and sprinting, the gym is her second home.

She trains 6 days a week, and the dietary discipline she was raised with often comes in handy to fuel these sessions. Farm-fresh milk was a strength-building staple in her diet in her childhood days. However, she surely has made some accommodations in the diet.

"I eat a lot less of them [French Fries] now. I have an energy shake in the morning. I also take a lot of vitamins and herbal supplements that help," she added.

Her distinct training philosophy is another factor behind her success.

Florence Meiler advises a proper warm-up

Before Meiler even steps out of her home for her workout, she stretches for 10 to 15 minutes; she repeats the drill after reaching the gym. As Meiler emphasized, athletic movements become easy if the gear is ready.

Right after her warm-up lap, she immediately moves onto the hurdles without slowing her pace. After discus throw training, Meiler practices long jumps, one of her favorite disciplines.

Once again, it was her friend Jordan who inspired her to try long jumps, something quite out of Meiler's arena at 60 years old and zero prior experience. Still, she crushed her first attempt and immediately fell in love with it.

She's now the American record holder in that sport. However, while the case for difficult workouts grows stronger, Meiler also added a caution for the enthusiast.

"You want to push yourself but also enjoy it,” Meiler said. “Doing all of this keeps me young and gives me something to look forward to. Winning is great, but you can’t lose sight of having fun, too.”

Without doubt, her passion for the sport is the real secret behind her illustrious career. Does her story inspire you?

Follow Bodybuilding Bros for more.

Written by

Proma Chatterjee

Edited by

Ashvinkumar Patil