TIME

The most important difference between an elite athlete and a middle-aged writer

IT’S THE YEAR OF THE IMPROBABLY-OLD-BUT-STILL-INDOMITABLE athlete, which basically means the rest of us have a new way to feel bad about ourselves.

First Lindsey Vonn, 32, breaks her arm in November—damaging a nerve and temporarily losing the use of her hand, which I’m pretty sure she needs for skiing—and comes back in January to score her 77th World Cup win. Then Serena Williams, 35, wins the Australian Open, after shoulder and knee injuries contributed to losing her No.

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