Oldest Female Winter Olympian of All-Time Shares Her Story of Perseverance & Victory w/ Anne Abernathy
Thu Feb 05 2026
If you watch the Winter Olympics, you have seen and heard about luge, a sport where athletes race down an icy track on a small sled, lying on their backs with their feet pointing forward, reaching speeds over 90 mph.
At age 34, today’s guest, Anne Abernathy, set the record as the oldest female to compete in luge at the Winter Olympic Games. But that wasn’t the ending of her career.
She made the US Virgin Islands’ luge team six more times. At age 63, Anne was the oldest woman to compete in the sport at the Olympics.
And just for the heck of it, she honed her archery skills.
As you might have guessed, Anne’s journey was not trouble-free, far from it. She was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma just before her first Winter Olympic Games; she’s had twenty knee operations, too many broken bones to count, and her home was demolished in a hurricane.
So, the question remains: What drives a star athlete to continue competing against all odds, and what has Anne learned about herself and the process of getting older?
Takeaways
Anne Abernathy set the record as the oldest female luge competitor.
She faced numerous challenges, including cancer and serious injuries.
Her background in music helped her cope with the pressures of competition.
Anne discovered luge during a trip to Lake Placid, New York.
She trained for three years before competing in her first Olympics.
Despite being told she couldn't train due to cancer, she persevered and competed in six Olympics.
Anne's serious brain injury led to a unique recovery process.
She transitioned to archery after retiring from luge and continues to compete.
Aging has provided Anne with a wealth of experience and knowledge.
She believes that getting older is liberating, not limiting.
https://anneabernathy.com/
https://www.facebook.com/anne.abernathy1/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-abernathy-709213/
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If you watch the Winter Olympics, you have seen and heard about luge, a sport where athletes race down an icy track on a small sled, lying on their backs with their feet pointing forward, reaching speeds over 90 mph. At age 34, today’s guest, Anne Abernathy, set the record as the oldest female to compete in luge at the Winter Olympic Games. But that wasn’t the ending of her career. She made the US Virgin Islands’ luge team six more times. At age 63, Anne was the oldest woman to compete in the sport at the Olympics. And just for the heck of it, she honed her archery skills. As you might have guessed, Anne’s journey was not trouble-free, far from it. She was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma just before her first Winter Olympic Games; she’s had twenty knee operations, too many broken bones to count, and her home was demolished in a hurricane. So, the question remains: What drives a star athlete to continue competing against all odds, and what has Anne learned about herself and the process of getting older? Takeaways Anne Abernathy set the record as the oldest female luge competitor. She faced numerous challenges, including cancer and serious injuries. Her background in music helped her cope with the pressures of competition. Anne discovered luge during a trip to Lake Placid, New York. She trained for three years before competing in her first Olympics. Despite being told she couldn't train due to cancer, she persevered and competed in six Olympics. Anne's serious brain injury led to a unique recovery process. She transitioned to archery after retiring from luge and continues to compete. Aging has provided Anne with a wealth of experience and knowledge. She believes that getting older is liberating, not limiting. https://anneabernathy.com/ https://www.facebook.com/anne.abernathy1/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-abernathy-709213/