Army veteran's secrets to feeling strong at 79!

At 64, Army veteran Marina Perez won her first gold medal at the National Veterans Golden Age Games—an achievement that sparked a personal vow: Never let age define you. Now, at 79, she’s become a beacon of inspiration, racking up more than 60 medals and proving it’s never too late to pursue greatness—or joy

- —Beth Weissman-Duarte

Stepping up on the podium to accept a gold medal at her first National Veterans Golden Age Games at age 64, Army veteran Marina Perez felt a wave of emotion wash over her. As she looked around the field at all the senior athletes participating in the competition, her heart swelled.

I feel so honored to be here. And to win a medal is incredible, she thought. With the gold medal around her neck, she looked over to her teammates who were cheering and beaming with pride.

Now I have to compete every year, she promised herself, as chills ran up her arms.

From that moment on, Marina made another promise to herself: to never let age stand in her way.

She had been a runner since she was a young girl and tried to be active every day, whether it was a run in the neighborhood or a walk through the park.

I can never let myself get to a place where I can't move and exercise, she hoped.

At 33, Marina ran the New York City Marathon for the first time and finished in just over 5 hours. Two years later, she enlisted in the Army and soared through basic training with ease. She even shocked some of her superior officers when she was able to keep up with—and even surpass—some of the much younger recruits.

Her impressive military career included several deployments to the Gulf War and Bosnia, where she received the prestigious Bronze Star Medal for valor.