There are a goodly number of people who have achieved great things at the age of 72 but this issue focuses on just one – French acrobat, Blondin, who found fame as a tightrope walker.
As the years went by on his career he insisted on making his tightrope walks more and more difficult. After crossing the Niagara Falls on an 1100 foot-long rope (335 metres) strung 160 feet (48 metres) above the water he repeated the act blindfolded pushing a wheelbarrow, then, later, carrying a man on his back and later still, crossing on stilts.
After a stint in retirement he returned to his passion, performing yet another bizarre act in a display at Staten Island – he carried a stove to the middle of a tightrope and there cooked and ate an omelette. He finally retired at the age of 72, giving his last performance in Belfast, Northern Ireland. However, it is said, even then, he was obsessed with the skill and still considered tightrope walking a personal challenge.