🎾 Most people talk about the Australian Open as a story of the young replacing the old…but I watched it as a reminder that ageing is a privilege, not a problem 🎾
- Olly Bridge
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Yes, the new generation is extraordinary and yet… when you zoom out, it’s impossible not to pause at what Novak Djokovic has achieved on the courts of Australian Open.
Longevity. Consistency. Reinvention.
Not dominance through force… but through adaptation, recovery, and perspective 🧠🔄
Ageing doesn’t automatically equal decline. What declines fastest is recovery capacity if we stop protecting it.
High-impact journals including The Lancet, Cell, Nature, and The Journal of Physiology consistently show that functional decline is strongly associated with inactivity, poor recovery, and chronic stress — not chronological age alone.:
😴 Preserved sleep quality
🌿 Intentional recovery and stress regulation
🧠 Psychological flexibility and meaning
📈 Consistent, not maximal, training loads
(https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23746838/, https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GAC_GlobalPopulationAgeing_Report_2012.pdf, https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(17)31634-3/abstract, https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/jappl.2000.88.2.774 )
In other words… what you CHOOSE to do has more impact on your functional ability than any number on your birthday cards 🎂
🎯 What this means for leaders under pressure
I see the same pattern in boardrooms that we see on centre court:
⚡ Early career = speed, intensity, proving yourself
🧭 Mid to later career = judgement, pacing, self-trust
The mistake many leaders make is trying to perform at 25… when the real edge at 45, 55 or 65 is experience plus energy management.
Age brings something younger versions simply don’t have yet: Perspective. Pattern recognition. Emotional regulation. Patience. Calm under fire 🧘♂️
At @Essentio Health and @Build a Bridge – Live Your Best Life, this is exactly the work we do… helping leaders perform brilliantly now, while still being able to do it well years from today.
Because ageing is a privilege.
And sustainable performance is the goal.
