> 40 is old for a startup founder or professional athlete
Though I wouldn't really classify rock or mountain climbing as a profession, the really good ones tend to peak around their 40s.
The books I've read on the subject indicate that though the peak physical capacity lies in the mid to late twenties, there are many other factor at play that make climbers better as they age (up to a reasonable age limit).
Experience, more long-term planning, increased ability to endure pain, etc give older climbers (30-45) a much higher chance to complete or survive a climb than their younger counterparts. The same appears to hold to true for other expeditions (long-term sailing, arctic/desert fun, etc). Football and basketball are not the be-all-and-end-all of sports.
Yes, but 25 is probably old for a figure skater. There are outliers on both ends, but athletes usually tend towards youth. You'd be hard-pressed to name an Olympic event with a gold medalist over 40, or in the team events, a gold medal team averaging over 40. (While it's not fair to compare Olympic soccer, compare World Cup soccer instead.)
Though I wouldn't really classify rock or mountain climbing as a profession, the really good ones tend to peak around their 40s.
The books I've read on the subject indicate that though the peak physical capacity lies in the mid to late twenties, there are many other factor at play that make climbers better as they age (up to a reasonable age limit).
Experience, more long-term planning, increased ability to endure pain, etc give older climbers (30-45) a much higher chance to complete or survive a climb than their younger counterparts. The same appears to hold to true for other expeditions (long-term sailing, arctic/desert fun, etc). Football and basketball are not the be-all-and-end-all of sports.