79-Year-Old Grandma Works To Earn Her Black Belt In Taekwondo

Age does not stop this 79-year-old grandma from chasing her dream to earn a black belt in taekwondo!

From Des Moines, Iowa, Mary Daily Lange is going after something that you don’t see many people her age doing.

“I’m not very big, and I’m old,” says Mary.

But that didn’t keep her from pursuing taekwondo and going through the tests in order to achieve her black belt. She started learning this skill at the age of 65 and has been smashing through boards ever since. Commitment and practice are important parts of taekwondo training, and you can see that Mary has the determination that is needed for this sport.

Mary shares how she told her kids about her newfound activity. “I had talked to our kids, our two sons and our daughter about this and said, ‘Do you want me to buy long-term care insurance or do you want me to do taekwondo?’ And they said, ‘Go for it, Mom.’”

With their blessing, she went for it and has been thriving ever since. She loves how taekwondo adds to her life and all the benefits it adds to her health.

“I believe that you need to be active. Physically, socially, mentally, and spiritually,” Mary says.

Taekwondo has also helped Mary in the way that she carries herself. “I exude confidence, and part of the reason I do that is because I know I can break boards with my bare hand.”

As of now, Mary has just one more test to go before achieving her first-degree black belt. She hopes to reach this goal by the time she celebrates her 80th birthday. What an inspiration to see Mary going after such a difficult accomplishment in her golden years. May we all go after the things in life that bring us joy!