JOAN BENOIT SAMUELSON

59, running Freeport, Maine

Benoit Samuelson was on skis by age 4. But in her midteens, she broke her leg training for a ski race. The cast came off, she started running as part of her rehab—and soon she was hooked. “I liked the challenge of seeing how far and how fast I could run,” she says. “And I didn’t have to wait for snow to do it.” At ages 22 and 26, she took first place among female runners at the Boston Marathon, setting a world record of 2.22.43 with her second win. One year later, in 1984, she won the gold medal in the first women’s marathon at the Los Angeles Olympics. Now almost 60, her current goal is to run a marathon under three hours. Each morning she puts in five to 13 miles, and she tucks in swims, gardening, biking and kayaking. “I like to run in the morning,” she says. “It wakes me up and it’s my time to think and prioritize. And regular exercise makes me feel better about myself.” Tip: “Fun and passion are the key words here. Do something that makes you feel better about yourself and your life.”