Not Your Average Grandmother

SWIM. BIKE. RUN. REPEAT? It is a cycle, make that a bicycle, that Natalie Grabow, an 80-year-old grandmother of four, repeated often enough for her to complete the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii.

A Guiness World Record’s certificate in her home authenticates her as the oldest woman to ever have achieved such a feat, and the Borough of Mountain Lakes awarded her a proclamation complete with a spot on their digital billboard outside of town hall. Grabow’s fireplace mantle boasts a score of wooden bowls, Ironman’s version of achievements and a testament to her dedicated participation. “I’ve competed 11 times,” she says.

Scores of medals and multiple bulletin boards boasting her racing bibs furnish her workout room downstairs. As the races keep coming, she’s pressed for space for future bibs. “I’m going to need another board soon,” she says. Amid the medals and bibs, a simple racing bike, about 18 years old, is where the magic happens.

Her stats for the Kona race tell all: 16 hours, 45 minutes, and 26 seconds. The last woman to secure the title of oldest female world champion was aged 78.

Following her win, she has been courted by the press, including prominent media outlets such as National Public Radio, The New York Times, nj.com, Business Insider, and she even carved out time for her newish hometown magazine.

Grabow was also preparing for an interview with NBC’s Tom Llamas, and welcomed the change of wardrobe from racing gear to more formal wear. “I’ll be dressing nice for that,” she jokes.

TO THE RACES

So, how did this Mountain Lakes High School Class of 1963 graduate, mother of two and grandmother of four, find herself at the finish line of one of the world’s most coveted hardcore races that involves 2.4 miles of swimming, 112 miles of biking and 26.2 miles of running?

There is no real backstory of high school athletic bragging rights, though she was a cheerleader, and there were societal constraints to contend with and on women in particular.

“There were no women’s sports back then in the ’60s,” she said. “We had to wear skirts to class. It was a long time ago, and it’s hard to believe that’s the way it was.”

Well, she showed them, even if it came later than sooner to make it to the present. Grabow’s competitive career took shape as a slow-build momentum, much like racing itself. Prior to entering the athletic realm and furnishing her home with medals, she attended Bucknell College in Pennsylvania, hitting the books and majoring in math. As for fitness? “My only form of exercise was walking,” she quips.

After graduating, she landed a job as a software engineer at the former Bell Labs in Holmdel, where she met her husband of 56 years, Paul.

When her two daughters were in second and fifth grades, Grabow came full circle to Mountain Lakes to raise them. Her oldest, Jen Peifly, teaches at Briarcliff Middle School in town, while her youngest, Amy Rousseau, lives in California.

Grabow’s initial stab at sports came in the form of a ski club at work, and then she added tennis to the lineup, also later in life. After returning to work, she took up running. Next came the Stairmaster, an extra measure to remain active in her 40s and 50s. It built from there and soon she was tackling 5Ks, 10Ks, and eventually half marathons. This left the last checkbox, swimming, and she looked no farther than the Mountain Lakes Family YMCA to test the waters. “I mostly watched people and would ask them questions, and I would watch videos,” she says, referring to how she is a self-taught swimmer.

Grabow is the first to admit that swimming remains the most challenging part of the race. She describes a crowded field where contestants are vying for space in addition to speed. More often than not, swimmers inadvertently bump into each other, especially when switching from freestyle to breaststroke, she says.

She entered her first triathlon in 2005, a half-triathlon, a 70.3 mile “shorter” feat that halves the distance of the Ironman.

COMMUNITY CONNECTION

Her later-in-life athletic career has connected her with neighboring competitive athletes, including Angie Dello of Boonton Township. A triathlete for four plus years, Dello regularly trains with Grabow at the YMCA and has joined her on many bike rides around town.

“Natalie’s constant dedication to her training—her miles of running, hours of biking and swimming, commitment to strength training, and knowing when to rest and recover—made this incredible accomplishment possible,” Dello says. “She truly inspires people of all ages to believe that anything is possible.”

Grabow was also accompanied in Kona by her Laker counterparts Katy Roberts and Christ Ghebhart, both of whom competed in the 55 to 56 age group. Katy crossed the finish line in 13 hours, 27 minutes, and 27 seconds.

To the tune of friends who run together have fun together, Roberts, Ghebhart, and Grabow have caravaned together in the name of personal bests. Their most recent excursions? Three back-to-back half Ironman races in a period of six months.

“It’s always fun to race with friends,” says Roberts, who was recently in Marbella, Spain competing in a 70.3 half triathlon.

On the family front, Grabow’s two daughters stand proud by their mom and her supportive husband cheers her on as well. “He’s a sweetheart,” she says. “He’s very happy for me.”

Her youngest Amy accompanied her mom to Kona as did her coach Michelle Lake of Fiv3 Racing. Across the finish line, Grabow was congratulated by Cherie Gruenfeld, who, at 78, held the running title of oldest female to finish the Ironman World Championship. That was in 2022.

When it comes to training, Grabow enlists the assistance of online coaches who set the agenda. “I am good at following directions,” she jokes.

Since stepping off the plane and amid a media frenzy, Grabow still keeps her training in regular rotation. A sample session may include 40 minutes of running, an hour-long bike ride, and taking on the pool.

Mind you, this is in the off season.

As triathlon day approaches, she ramps up the workouts to almost six hours of biking and two hours and change of running.

She also adheres to a standard diet, balanced but hardly restrictive, especially given her level of activity. “I do eat a lot,” she says, giving a mention to Cheerios and blueberries as a typical breakfast. The triathlon provides food on the ready, such as energy gels or quick snacks.

While she enjoys her elevated status, she takes none of it for granted, especially with her husband as well as high school friends challenged by mobility issues.

“It’s great to be able to move,” she says. “Everybody is different, and some people can’t move at my age. I consider myself lucky.”

In looking ahead to next year, she’s already got two half Ironmans in the works for June. Stay tuned, this woman is not stopping anytime soon.

BY ELLEN S. WILKOWE