Give It Up For The Old Ladies!

Here at CollegeCandy, we are all about girl power. We love a good power suit, an intelligent woman with strong convictions and all of the college girls with passions and dreams.

But with all the homework, internships, jobs and stress, it can be hard to stay positive and motivated.

This morning, as we waited for the espresso to surge through our bloodstream, we came across an elderly woman in the news who really inspired us. It got us thinking about all the old women who continue to accomplish great things and make an impact on our world.

Sure, they may look frail, fragile and on the verge of breaking into a million little pieces and, yeah,  we may mutter an expletive or two if we get stuck behind one of them on the highway, but we all have to admit, these old ladies freakin’ rock!

Fighter
Isadel Gooden, 98, fought off robbers who broke into her house by hitting them over the head with a stick. For real. If someone broke into my house I’m pretty sure I’d start screaming like a little girl and dial 911 ASAP. Then possibly wet my pants. But not Isadel; at nearly 100 years old she took matters into her own hands and beat the crap out of someone! And now that guy needs to spend the rest of his life knowing he was beat up by a girl. An old girl.

Record Breaker
Ruth Frith, 100, won a gold medal in shot-put at the World Masters Games, setting new world record. This woman trains five days a week and lifts 77 pound weights….which makes me double think skipping the elliptical tonight…and slightly embarrassed by my baby 5lb weights I usually use. This woman is a true testament to the fact that you truly can accomplish anything you put your mind to. And that old ladies are fierce.

Aiding a Cause
Lan Yin Tsai, 85, biked 150 miles to benefit multiple sclerosis research…in heels. Yes, heels. She claims she rides her bike to church every weekend in heels, so why would she wear anything different for the race? This is my kind of woman. Except the whole biking part. And the heels. I can barely walk around my room in those things without crying.

Bachelorette
Wang Guiying, 107, is currently seeking a husband to get married for the first time. She has survived as a farmer for all these years living on her own, but now that she is too old to work she is finally ready to put a ring on it. (Perhaps her ripe old age suggests something about a life free of a lazy husband demanding food and sex? We’re just sayin’). It’s awesome that despite her age she is putting herself out there to find love, and that she has lived an amazing long life as an independent woman! You go, girl.

College Grad
Nola Ochs, 95, is currently the oldest college graduate, obtaining a degree in history from Fort Hays State University in Kansas. It took her over 30 years to graduate but she finally did it, and we think that’s awesome. She even lived in an on-campus apartment, writing term papers from her room and pulling all-night study sessions just like the rest of us college students! What are her plans now? She is seeking employment on a cruise ship…this may be the coolest old lady on the planet.