Understanding the meanings created around the aging body and sports through media representations of elite masters athletes

Abstract

Masters athletes compete in athletic events at the elite level after the point when most elite athletes retire. These athletes typically begin this stage of their competition careers between 30 and 40 years and continue in this journey in some cases to the age of 90 or older. The purpose of the present study was to explore media representations of such athletes to extend understandings on the portrayal of ageing, the older body and sport and the potential impact on understandings of ageing and sport participation. The athletes focused on were 81 year old Ed Whitlock, a Canadian marathon runner, and 77 year-old Jeanne Daprano, an American track and field athlete. Both athletes were the best athletes in their age group category based on their international accomplishments as runners. Media representation(s) (i.e. newspapers, articles in Runner’s World magazine) of both athletes (n = 41 Whitlock, n = 17 Daprano) were collected and analysed through an interpretive thematic analysis. Two higher-order themes were identified: (a) discovery and rediscovery of sports and competition – which culminated into ‘ageing into sport’ and (b) performing in a declining body – which culminated into ‘ageing out of sport’. These findings extend the literature on masters athletes, demonstrating how media stories of two prominent athletes’ identities circulating at the broader cultural level (re)creates particular meanings around ageing and athletics that can simultaneously encourage and discourage sport participation.