A great grandmother is proving that age is just a number.
At 79 years old, Bonnie Allison will climb the highest mountain in Africa, Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.
“Don’t tell me I can’t do anything,” she told The Oklahoman. “That’s probably why I’m going to Kilimanjaro.”
Allison took off for Tanzania last week and will spend two weeks in the African country to scale the 19,341 foot tall mountain.
What's most interesting about Allison's story is that she started mountain climbing and other long-distance sports, like cross-country racing, later in life. Once her kids became teenagers, she decided she wanted to challenge her self.
“I didn’t do anything until I was 45 except chase my kids around. When they got to be 16, I said, ‘OK, it’s my turn,'" she told the newspaper.
When she was 50, Allison did Race For America, a cycling marathon that started in Irvine, California, and ended in Savannah, Georgia. She was one of 27 people who completed the 2,900 mile journey. She even made it to the end despite getting hit by a car along the way.
“Bonnie’s just an animal,” friend Bruce Simmons said.
For the past 29 years, Allison has been competing in marathons, 12-hour endurance races, and other extreme races. She's had neck surgery and a knee replaced, but Allison isn't letting that slow her down.
Allison hasn't decided what she'll do next, but her friends are sure she'll make it to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro.
“I’m concentrating on this one now, and then worry about the next project when I get home," she said.