At 90, Champlain native Flo Meiler is still breaking world records in track and field, a career she started at 60.
Florence “Flo” Meiler, born on June 7, 1934, grew up in Champlain, New York, on her family’s dairy farm.
As a young girl, she kept busy with cheerleading, basketball, tap dancing, drama club, and singing in the church choir.
Her career is unlike most athletes; Flo didn’t grow up training for it or competing in the sport. In fact, her journey into track and field didn’t begin until much later.
Flo Meiler Started Her Career at 60!
Flo first tried track and field when she was 60 years old. It was when her friend invited her to join the Vermont State Senior Games, and she decided to give it a shot.
What started as a fun challenge quickly turned into a passion. At first, Flo learned the basics of a few events, but she didn’t stop there.
She kept adding more and more to her skill set, like pole vault, long jump, triple jump, hurdles, sprints, high jump, and even the pentathlon, which combines several events in one competition.
Over the years, she entered both indoor and outdoor meets, traveling to national and international championships.
In fact, her ability to master technical events like pole vault at an age when most athletes have long retired is what makes her story stand out.
She trained hard, listened to coaches, and wasn’t afraid to compete against the best in her age group.
After that, there was no turning back, and the rest is history.
With each meet, she collected medals and began breaking records, first in her state, then across the country, and eventually at the world level.
Since then, Flo has set more than 35 world records in masters competitions. She has competed in age groups all the way up to her 90s, winning national and international titles.
Flo Gave a Remarkable Performance in 2025!
Even to this day, she still trains six days a week. She warms up at home before heading to the University of Vermont’s indoor track or a local high school field.
Flo often brings her equipment in a red wagon she once used to pull her children.
At the 2025 World Masters Athletics Indoor Championships in Gainesville, Florida (March 23–30), Flo, now 90, put on an unforgettable performance.
She won eight gold medals and set five new world records in the W90 category. Her record-breaking events included:
- Pentathlon
- 60-meter hurdles (24.87 seconds)
- Triple jump (14 feet, 9¼ inches)
- Pole vault (4 feet, 6 inches)
- Another event within the pentathlon
Flo Meiler’s win proves that it’s never too late to start something new and age is just a number.
