What makes Olga run? - Rambling Readers

241 pages

English language

Published Jan. 1, 2014

ISBN:: 978-0-8050-9720-7
OCLC Number:: 844728753

(1 review)

"Olga Kotelko is not your average ninety-three-year-old. She not only looks and acts like a much younger woman, she holds over twenty-three world records in track and field, seventeen in her current ninety to ninety-five category. Convinced that this remarkable woman could help unlock many of the mysteries of aging, Grierson set out to uncover what it is that's driving Olga. He considers every piece of the puzzle, from her diet and sleep habits to how she scores on various personality traits, from what she does in her spare time to her family history. Olga participates in tests administered by some of the world's leading scientists and offers her DNA to groundbreaking research trials. What emerges is not only a tremendously uplifting personal story but a look at the extent to which our health and longevity are determined by the DNA we inherit at birth, and the extent to which …

"Olga Kotelko is not your average ninety-three-year-old. She not only looks and acts like a much younger woman, she holds over twenty-three world records in track and field, seventeen in her current ninety to ninety-five category. Convinced that this remarkable woman could help unlock many of the mysteries of aging, Grierson set out to uncover what it is that's driving Olga. He considers every piece of the puzzle, from her diet and sleep habits to how she scores on various personality traits, from what she does in her spare time to her family history. Olga participates in tests administered by some of the world's leading scientists and offers her DNA to groundbreaking research trials. What emerges is not only a tremendously uplifting personal story but a look at the extent to which our health and longevity are determined by the DNA we inherit at birth, and the extent to which we can shape that inheritance. It examines the sum of our genes, opportunities, and choices, and the factors that forge the course of any life, especially during"--

4 editions

crabbygirl reviewed What makes Olga run? by Bruce Grierson

Review of 'What makes Olga run?' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

fascinating book. so much to take in and learn from: we've got 2 copies of the worrier/warrior gene. the worrier is better at cognitive tasks, while the warrior is better able to cope with stress (and make decisions). there a study that shows rats will live longer if immersed in frigid water at intervals... meanwhile, think of all the hearty stock that comes from those wind-chilled prairies, where exposed skin freezes in minutes.
in fact, stress in your late 20s and early thirties is really good for you; makes you resilient. makes you second guess all the helicopter parenting we've been up to (if a kid can't take a mild disappointment, how will they cope with a major one in adulthood?)
also some great advice regarding the plasticity of the brain and keeping yourself intellectually nimble: eat with left hand occasionally, or drive a different route to work/the store. it's …

fascinating book. so much to take in and learn from: we've got 2 copies of the worrier/warrior gene. the worrier is better at cognitive tasks, while the warrior is better able to cope with stress (and make decisions). there a study that shows rats will live longer if immersed in frigid water at intervals... meanwhile, think of all the hearty stock that comes from those wind-chilled prairies, where exposed skin freezes in minutes.
in fact, stress in your late 20s and early thirties is really good for you; makes you resilient. makes you second guess all the helicopter parenting we've been up to (if a kid can't take a mild disappointment, how will they cope with a major one in adulthood?)
also some great advice regarding the plasticity of the brain and keeping yourself intellectually nimble: eat with left hand occasionally, or drive a different route to work/the store. it's called productive confusion.
personality traits: openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness, neuroticism
and lastly, my favorite takeaway: break a sweat: daily, differently, and with others

Subjects

Older women athletes
Women track and field athletes
Biography

Places

Canada