[author: Natalia Miernik]

As an avid fan of the Olympics and someone who is fascinated by the sheer range of ages among the athletes, I was particularly drawn to Andy MacDonald, Team GB’s 51-year-old skateboarding sensation.

Andy’s Olympic journey as a testament to timeless talent

Given the physical demands typical of most sports, the Olympics is often associated with recognising young, prodigious talent. Indeed, skateboarding was added to the Tokyo Olympic programme in 2021 to help draw in a younger audience, which is understandable given the sport’s association to youth and rebellion. Yet, this did not stop ‘rad dad’ Andy MacDonald. Andy, father of three, will be challenging the discrimination of age in sports by competing today, alongside two of his GB teammates – Lola Tambling and Sky Brown, both 16 years old, while their rival, Zheng Haohao from China, will be the youngest athlete participating at just 12 years old.

Andy’s participation in the contest is a strong reminder that age discrimination has no place in any workplace, even the Olympic one. His skills and wealth of experience in skateboarding (being the winner of 22 medals at X Games) have not diminished with time, demonstrating that age is just a number, not a testament to one’s merit. Andy’s story challenges our perceptions of the importance of youth within sports, and, instead, encourages us to appreciate the value of experience, determination and longevity as well.

The drastic age range between Andy and his teammates and competitors has caused some to perceive Andy as being “the old guy at the skate park”. Yet Andy simply kickflips over such stereotypes and focuses on the community aspect of the sport, where 50-year-olds can have ‘Wednesday night jams’ on the ramp, sharing the space with teenagers. In fact, I think that mixing different generations allows for the integration of different styles and experiences, providing a perfect example of how any workplace can benefit from diversity.

So, Andy MacDonald’s story is a reminder that it is not about age (or any protected characteristic for that matter). It is about merit. The wider the talent pool, the more chance of success.

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