Sometimes age is just a number. Despite hitting the age of 40, these athletes all continued to excel on the field, on the ice, and on the court, pushing against father time and doing what they love—and doing it well.
These players aged gracefully and entered the twilight of their careers on their own terms.
Here are some of the best athletes 40 and older in sports history.
Editor's Note: This article was originally written in 2018.
Related: These Offensive Weapons Have Tom Brady ‘Excited’ for His Tampa Bay Buccaneers Career
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New England Patriots quarterback turned 41 in August 2018 and he continues to play at a very high level as he ages into this new decade. Brady entered 2017 after playing in one of the most thrilling NFL games ever and leading the Patriots to a historic comeback against the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI. Brady has said he wants to play until he’s 45—at this rate, why doubt him?
Brady became the oldest quarterback in history to win a Super Bowl with a win in Super Bowl LIII against the Rams—his sixth Super Bowl win—and he isn't showing signs of slowing down.
Brady has had some fun with hinting about his retirement, and he did it again in June 2018 when he commented on an Instagram post. After telling Oprah that retirement likely will come "sooner rather than later," Brady commented on an ESPN Instagram post, writing "Cuarenta y cinco" (45). Many have speculated Brady might want to play to 45 because of that comment. Brady will turn turns 41 on August 3, so he still has some time.
After basically being out of golf for the last two years with back injuries and other related issues, the 42-year-old golfer came back in a big way. 2018 showed that Tiger Woods can still play on the PGA Tour, and he solidified that with a win at the Tour Championship, his first since 2013 on the tour. Woods now will be looking to add another major to his trophy case over the 2019 season if he can keep up this form at 43 years old and beyond. UPDATE: Tiger won The Masters in 2019, showing he can still get it done.
Brett Favre is one of the toughest athletes of all-time, and he played in the NFL past his 40th birthday. After spending a large part of his career with the Green Bay Packers, Favre went to the Jets at age 39, and then at the age of 40 (and later 41) he played with the Minnesota Vikings. As of 2010, Favre remains the only quarterback over 40 to win a playoff game.
"Big Sexy" has defied expectations of what an athlete can do after his 40th birthday. The 5’11”, 285-pound righty has been with the New York Mets for three seasons (2014-16), helping the team make the World Series in 2015 while going 14-13 record with a 4.16 ERA. The well-rounded pitcher has also shown off his bat skills—on May 7, 2016, Colon became the oldest player in baseball history to hit his first career home run at 42 years and 349 days old. Colon won the AL Cy Young Award back in 2005, but like wine, he has gotten better with age, making the 2016 All-Star team at the ripe age of 43.
The 41-year-old qualified for his fifth Olympics after a stunning come-from-behind victory in the the 5,000 meters at the U.S. trials for Rio 2016. The veteran ran like an athlete half his age—recording a 52.8-second final lap—to take first place in the event. Lagat was able to vault ahead of fellow Olympian Galen Rupp, who was leading with less than 500 meters to go after already qualifying for the U.S. team in the 10,000 meters and the marathon.
“Mr. Hockey” was one of the toughest players in the NHL for the duration of his career—and that’s saying something, considering Howe played in professional games over five decades. How made the All-Star team twice after turning 40, and after making his final NHL appearance at 52, the Detroit Red Wings legend suited up for the IHL's Detroit Vipers in 1997 at the age of 69.
The “Big Unit” established himself as a Hall of Fame pitcher before turning 40, but he didn't slow down once he hit that age. Johnson pitched a perfect game and led the National League with nearly 300 strikeouts in the season when he was 40—and he went on to pitch in the major leagues until he was 46. The lanky southpaw finished with a winning record in each of his last six seasons in the MLB after hitting the big 4-0.
The soft-throwing lefty pitched until he was 49, becoming the oldest pitcher in MLB history to win a game and record an RBI. The longtime Seattle Mariners and Philadelphia Phillies pitcher played for eight teams in his 25-year career, winning 269 games with a fastball that basically only hit the low 80s. Moyer used his deft touch around the strike zone to survive, although he finished his career with the most home runs allowed by a pitcher with 522.
The Golden Bear won three major titles after turning 40—including a legendary performance at the 1986 Masters that saw him shoot a 6-under 30 to make his mark as the oldest winner in tournament history. So it's no wonder that Nicklaus made the Men’s Fitness list of the best golf shots ever with his strike on the 16th hole, cementing his legacy as one of the best golfers in history.
Ichiro Suzuki has proven to be an ageless wonder as a baseball player—at 42 years old, he's basically an every-game player for the Miami Marlins. The former Seattle Mariners star continues to man the outfield with the same vigor and Gold Glove-caliber defense that he mustered when he made his MLB debut at 27. Suzuki reached 3,000 career MLB hits during the 2016 season, a mark that only 29 other players had reached before him—plus, he did it in the most Ichiro-like way possible: Suzuki smashed a ball to deep right-field—showing off the power he still has at his age—knocking it off the wall before racing into third base for a triple.
Suzuki’s age also made for some fun when the Marlins took on the New York Mets on August 31, 2016, as Suzuki faced off against fellow over-40 pal Bartolo Colon. The duo combined to have the oldest batter-pitcher matchup (86 years, 48 days old) since Jamie Moyer (another over-40 list member) faced Henry Blanco during the 2012 season.
Ichiro keeps hitting milestones the longer he plays: After starting in centerfield for the Marlins against the Cubs during the 2017 season, Suzuki became the oldest player (at 43 years and 246 days old) to start at that position by an MLB team since 1900, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Jaromír Jágr has proven to be an ageless wonder in the NHL: The former Penguins star led the Florida Panthers in scoring during the 2016-17 season at the age of 44. Jágr continued playing the next season at 45, and even said he hopes to play to 50.
Okay, so he's not quite 40 yet, he's 38 and will be 40 in August 2021 —but that’s basically 100 in tennis years.
Federer continues to play at a wildly high level for his age, making the 2017 Australian Open final against Rafael Nadal and beating him for yet another major title. Federer became the oldest player to reach a Grand Slam final since 1974—remember, this is a sport routinely dominated by teenagers—and just like that, a classic rivalry was renewed. Federer is in amazing shape for a player pushing towards the big 4-0: He's still able to track down hard forehands along the baseline and has a great serve to go along with it. Federer already is one of the all-time greats, but his longevity makes him even more of a legend on the court.
Making his career even more amazing: Federer won his eighth Wimbledon title in 2017, a record for one player at that major. It was his 19th career Grand Slam, also a record. Federer really is an ageless wonder.
Vince Carter can still fly. As one of the best dunkers in the NBA in the early days of his career, Carter made highlight-reel plays for over a decade while playing with the Raptors and Nets. But despite getting older, Carter has been able to stick around in the NBA, playing for the Magic, Suns, Mavericks, Grizzlies, and in 2017-18 at the age of 40, the Sacramento Kings. Carter can still dunk—and he wants to keep playing. Update: Carter played for the Hawks in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons, and once it turned to 2020, Carter is the first player to play in the NBA in four different decades.
Paige spent 18 years playing in the Negro Leagues before getting his shot to play in the MLB at the age of 42. The Kansas City, Missouri native had already established himself as one of the most skilled pitchers of all time and he continued that in the majors, posting a solid 3.29 ERA in six seasons playing for the Cleveland Indians, St. Louis Browns, and Kansas City Athletics. Paige pitched his final game at the age of 59 while playing for the A’s in 1965, giving up just one hit in three innings. When it was all said and done, Paige pitched for 40 years in professional baseball.