100-Year-Old Track Star Orville Rogers Featured On Cover of MONEY
Track and field star Orville Rogers is featured on the cover of the latest issue of Money, which profiles 100-year-old American retirees who are living longer and enjoying longer retirements.
Rogers was photographed on the cover of Money with his many national championship medals around his neck, an image inspired by the famous Sports Illustrated covers with Michael Phelps in 2008 and 2016. In the cover story, he shares his secrets to a long, happy life.
Rogers retired from his job as a commercial pilot just before he turned 60 in November 1977. He is a veteran from World War II and now resides in Dallas. He started running when he was 50 years old but did not get competitive until he turned 90 and realized that he could etch his name into some of the records for 90+ runners.
“Some people think I run because I can, but that’s backward,” Rogers told Money. “I can because I do.”
In recent years, he has been the subject of several viral track and field clips for his accomplishments at the USA Track and Field Masters Championships. Rogers went viral in February 2017 after a video surfaced from the U.S. indoor championships' 60 meter dash. He edged out 92-year-old Dixon Hemphill by .05 seconds.
In March, Rogers set records in the 60-meter, 200-meter, 400-meter, 800-meter and 1,500-meter events. In July, Rogers was set to attempt a world record for the 800 meters but withdrew from a race at the USATF Masters Championships due to high blood pressure.
