48-Year-Old Gabby Rose Set to Race at Fort Lauderdale Open; Veteran Continues to Inspire
Next weekend’s Fort Lauderdale Open is stacked with many of the biggest names in the sport, headlined by the triumvirate of Katie Ledecky, Leon Marchand and Summer McIntosh. Also in the field is Gabby Rose, the two-time Olympian who continues to inspire as a 48-year-old.
Nearly two years after advancing to the semifinals of the 100-meter breaststroke and 200 breaststroke at the United States Olympic Trials in Indianapolis, Rose is among the top seeds in each of the breaststroke events at the Fort Lauderdale Open. In addition to being seeded seventh in the 50 breaststroke and 100 breaststroke, Rose is slotted 10th in the 200 distance. She is the U.S. Masters record-holder for the 45-49 age group in all three breaststroke events.
Rose heads into the 100 breaststroke in Fort Lauderdale with an entry time of 1:08.32. In the 200 breaststroke, she is seeded at 2:30.13. A 1996 Olympian for Brazil and a 2000 Olympian for the United States, Rose has emerged as an inspiration for female athletes, proving that age does not have to deter individuals from setting lofty goals and challenging the body to remain youthful.
“I like think of myself as young,” Rose said at the 2024 Olympic Trials. “I think of myself as really lucky to feel so young and feel so strong, and just to have this experience and I don’t really relate to oldest. I’m just hoping to show people that you’re capable of doing more. You can have more energy and have more strength than you thought were possible. I want women in particular to not be afraid to be strong, to lift weights, to take care of themselves and just know that they can have a lot more.”
Fort Lauderdale Open (Psych Sheets)
