Born: 1974, Australia (assumed)
Died: NA
Country most active: Australia
Also known as: NA
The following is excerpted from Infinite Women founder Allison Tyra’s book The View from the Hill: Women Who Made Their Mark After 40.
The month after her 50th birthday, Australian athlete Melinda Cockshutt won the women’s division of the 2024 Ultraman Australia triathlon, as well as being the oldest woman to complete the race. Considered one of the country’s most grueling competitions, the competitors have 12 hours a day for three days to cover more than 515 kilometers: ten km of swimming, 421.1 km of biking and 84.3 km of running. Cockshutt completed the course in 27 hours, 39 minutes and 17 seconds, but had never considered she might win. “It’s been a little bit of an out-of-body experience. I can’t believe my body actually did that,” she said afterward.
Cockshutt was inspired to compete after co-founding the Heart of Courage Project, which works to improve regional cancer patients’ outcomes, particularly among Indigenous communities. “I wanted to do something that terrified me a bit, so I can lead by example,” she said. “I want people to take on events that they are nervous about but want to be courageous, so this was my event.”