What Makes Olga Run?: The Mystery of the 90-Something Track Star, and What She Can Teach Us about Living Longer, Happier Lives Hardcover - 2014

“I am nuts about this book and about Olga. But the real kick was accompanying Bruce Grierson—a very good writer—as he took a smart, deep look into the new science of aging— and not aging—at the high end. I know this field a bit, and I still learned important new stuff…all of it great news. Hint: work out like a lunatic ’til the day you die. And jiggle your feet the rest of the time. Olga ‘redefined’ Grierson’s life; she may redefine yours.”
—Chris Crowley, co-author (with Henry S. Lodge, M.D.) of the bestselling Younger Next Year books and co-author (with Jen Sacheck, Ph.D.) of Thinner This Year
 
“What Makes Olga Run? is a smart, funny and provocative modern-day quest for the fountain of youth, led by a curious (and envious) middle-aged man determined to find the source of a 93-year-old track star’s astonishing vigour. Bruce Grierson sails deep into the heart of what science has to offer on the hot subject of longevity, and finds lessons for us all in the record-breaking footsteps of Olga Kotelko. This is a fascinating adventure, rich with puzzles and people who will make you laugh out loud, and profound insights for anyone interested in the shelf life of humanity.”
—Carolyn Abraham, Governor General’s Literary Award–nominated author of The Juggler’s Children and Einstein’s Brain
 
 “In Olga, Grierson has a magical character with whom to explore the fascinating science of aging—a nonagenerian undecathlete. (That is, a 90-something who excels in eleven different events.) We are left with the empowering knowledge that, to a startling degree, aging itself is a choice.”
—David Epstein, author of The Sports Gene: Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance 
 
“Smart and engaging, What Makes Olga Run? is also profoundly inspiring. It will make you wish you were half as fit and exuberant as Olga, whatever your age, while providing a fascinating look at the latest science on aging.”
—Gretchen Reynolds, author of The First 20 Minutes: Surprising Science Reveals How We Can Exercise Better, Train Smarter, Live Longer
 

BRUCE GRIERSON is a five-time Canadian National Magazine Award-winning feature writer whose work has appeared in the New York Times Magazine, Popular Science, the Walrus, Time, Scientific American and the Guardian. He is the author of U-Turn, and co-author (with Kalle Lasn) of Culture Jam. He lives in Vancouver with his wife and two daughters.