Never Too Late: Women Who Had Their Big Break Over 50

You’ve probably heard of Julia Child. You may even have her cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, in your kitchen or on a bookshelf, crusted lightly with flour or stained by olive oil. But you may not know that Child first began promoting her cookbook on public TV in 1963 at age 50, and her own television career quickly launched after.

Gladys Burrill may not be a household name, but she should be. She ran her first marathon at 84, and at 92 years young, Burrill set the record as the oldest woman to complete a marathon. Her race in Honolulu, her fifth Honolulu finish in seven years, earned her a rightful spot in the Guinness Book of World Records. Her secret? Positive thinking.

Anna Mary Robertson, mostly and affectionately known as Grandma Moses, lives up to her nickname of being grand. Described as a “genuine American primitive,” Grandma Moses completed her first painting at the ripe age of 76. She took up painting because she could no longer embroider due to arthritis. Since then, and 100% self-taught, she has become one of the country’s most famous painters, with art hanging in exhibitions and museums across the country.

Nina and Tim Zagat always loved going out to dinner. In 1979, the married couple was working as lawyers when they decided to publish a collection of restaurant reviews gathered from friends and people in their network. At 51-years-old, Nina created the first-ever space for critical eaters to share their opinions, which quickly grew in popularity. At first, they published the survey and distributed copies around NYC on their own dime. Today, the Zagat name is a mark of culinary authority and has expanded to cover guides for hotels, entertainment, travel, movies, theater and more.

53 hours + 64-years-old = one incredible story. In 2013, Diana Nyad became the first confirmed person to swim solo from Cuba to Florida at 64, without the help of a shark cage. The 110 mile long journey took Nyad a whopping 53 straight hours and five attempts until she was able to complete it. Recently, Netflix even released a biographical drama about her historical trek titled Nyad.

Alice Agogino is a problem solver. The only undergraduate woman in mechanical engineering at the University of New Mexico, Agogino went on to investigate the use of robots for space exploration with NASA. In 2017, Agogino cofounded Squishy Robotics, also at age 64. The company develops sensor robots and drones to help protect first responders during emergencies and disasters. In 2018, Agogino, then 65 years, received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring, and just last year, Squishy Robotics secured a contract with the U.S. Office of Naval Research. Recently, Agogino made Forbes 50 OVER 50 at age 70.

While in her 40s and working as a publisher at Random House, Toni Morrison wrote her first novel, The Bluest Eye. The first of many acclaimed pieces of literature, Morrison would go on to win a Pulitzer Prize in Fiction at 56 and a Nobel Prize in Literature at 62. Morrison’s important work “gives life to an essential aspect of American reality.”

Many don’t realize that the iconic Betty White didn’t rise to fame until she was 51. White, one of the most award-winning comedic actresses of all time, joined the cast of The Mary Tyler Moore Show in 1973. The rest is (often-hilarious) history.

Similar in name and story, Bettye LaVette also worked in entertainment for nearly her entire career. LaVette, a soul singer, was in her mid-50s when she started to get recognition for her immense talent. “It was like they took my entire career and gave it all to me in a week,” LaVette tells The Washington Post. Since then, LaVette has performed at Carnegie Hall over 10 times, has been nominated for seven Grammys and won the Legacy Award from The Americana Music Association just last year at 77. As recently as June 2024, LaVette performed with The Rolling Stones at Soldier Field in Chicago. In LaVette’s words, “Whatever you give me, I deserve.”

While many of us avoid the cold as we age, and seek out sunshine and warm weather during the winter months, Dorothy Davenhill Hirsch did the opposite. Davenhill Hirsch began world traveling with her family in 1980 at age 65, and in August 2004, reached the North Pole. The Guinness Book of World Records awarded Davenhill Hirsch as the oldest person to reach the remote destination. She was 89.

Did you know that Laura Ingalls Wilder published the first in the Little House book series at age 65 in 1935, nearly 90 years ago? Using her educated daughter, Rose, as an editor, Ingalls Wilder spent her “golden years” writing semi-autobiographical stories. These soon became children’s literary classics and the basis for the TV show Little House on the Prairie.

Ernestine Shepherd and her sister, Mildred Blackwell, were best friends. While training together to be body builders together in their 50s, Mildred tragically died from a brain aneurysm. Working through her grief, Shepherd turned to weights. At age 71, she started working with a trainer to finish what she and her sister started. Within seven months, she won first place in her first bodybuilding show. Since then, she was declared by the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest competitive female bodybuilder in the world in both 2010 at age 74, then again in 2011.

Miriam Roskin Berger is a dance therapy champion and pioneer. Dedicating her entire career to improve people’s well-being through movement, she worked as director of the Dance Education Program at New York University, was elected president of the American Dance Therapy Association, went on to complete a doctorate degree, and traveled to Sweden, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic to establish dance therapy programs- all in her 60s! Now in her 80s, she continues teaching and made Forbes 2023 50 OVER 50 at age 88.