You will be in for a surprise when you watch 91-year-old Johanna Quaas perform her gymnastics routine.
Quaas holds the Guinness World Record for being the oldest gymnast, a title she earned back in 2012 when she was just 86 – and she is still happily competing today.
Quaas had her Guinness World Record certified on April 12, 2012, at the “youthful” age of 86. The floor-and-beam routine that earned her this certification at “Lo Show dei Record” in Rome was extraordinary.
At age 86, Quaas was already impressing audiences across the world, including during an appearance on the British “This Morning,” where she wowed views on the parallel bars. During her appearance on the show, she told hosts:
“I hope the record inspires others to realize it’s never too late.”
Quaas doesn’t let her age hold her back from competing and is still going strong five full years after setting the world record.
She may not do a long series of flips like you see in the Olympics, but Quaas’s floor routine proves that this great-grandmother is still incredibly spry, completing headstands and cartwheels with ease. Watch Quaas’s floor routine, and you will be impressed by her beauty and grace, everything you look for in gymnastics.
Whether on the beam, parallel bars, or floor, Quaas truly excels. Check out 3:29 to see Johanna even do a flawless summersault while on the balance beam. Or admire her strength with while doing a headstand earlier, at 3:00.
Quaas’s start in gymnastics began as a young girl in Germany.
Following an April 2017 performance in Singapore, Quaas told the Straits Times that she saw the gym equipment as a girl and started climbing up and down the steel frame and doing rolls on the mats. Quaas told the Straits Times:
“That was how I fell in love with gymnastics.”
Little did she know how long for her that love would last!
She first entered competitions at age 10 but had to put her love of competitive gymnastics on hold as her family moved and the World War got in the way. Quaas completed a year of social service at age 11, like all young Germans her age. For Quaas, this was caring for children from another family, something that probably helped prepare her for her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
Quaas didn’t reignite her love for the sport until age 57, far past the retirement age for the average gymnast.
If Johanna Quaas’s name sounds familiar to you, it may be because videos of her at age 86 went viral in 2012.
Those clips featured Quaas showing off her skills in preparation for the Turnier der Meister, which took place in Cottbus and quickly amassed millions of views. So if you think you’ve seen Quaas before, you are probably correct.
Quaas proves that it is never too late to follow your dreams.
As of April, she had won the Senior German Championships an impressive 11 times.
There are some disadvantages to holding the World Record as the oldest active gymnast, however, including finding others to compete against.
In her interview with the Straits Times, Quaas told them:
“When I was 84, there was nobody to compete with.”
At that age, she ended up competing in the 70 to 75 age group – and winning, something that became one of her proudest moments.
Quaas stays motivated by the inspiration she provides to others.
Her advice for those who want to be active at her age?
“Do exercise again and again. You should be moving all the time.”
Don’t expect to stop hearing about Quaas anytime soon. She’s said she plans on doing gymnastics until the end of her life. In fact, just a few days ago, Quaas was performing on NBC and got a surprise visit from Gold medalist Simone Biles.
We can all hope to be as nimble as Johanna Quaas when we are her age – or now, for that matter.
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