About Charles
I began competing in masters track and field in my 70s, after battling lung cancer — taking on the 50m, 100m, shot put, and discus. I'm a retired chiropractor and entrepreneur, and the founder of AthleForte and ManyOrbits. I'm still training, still improving, and still testing what's possible later in life — and I hope my journey encourages others to do the same.
I didn't grow up as a sprinter, and I certainly didn't expect to become one in my 70s. After a long career as a chiropractor and entrepreneur, my life changed when I was diagnosed with ALK-positive lung cancer — a rare subtype, unrelated to smoking, that makes up less than 5% of lung cancer cases. I'd never smoked a day in my life, so it caught me completely off guard.
Following treatment, I was determined to regain as much strength, conditioning, confidence, and physical ability as I could. Masters track and field became part of that process. I began sprinting, then added the shot put and discus. At first, competition was partly a way to challenge myself and rebuild.
Over time, it became something more. I found that I genuinely enjoyed learning technique, training for speed and power, measuring improvement, and competing against myself and other athletes. At this age, progress looks different than it did when I was younger, but it is still progress. Every tenth of a second, every extra foot, and every technical improvement matters. What keeps me interested is the question of how much better I can still become.
I train for speed, strength, power, and technique, and I continue studying performance, recovery, and healthy aging. My goal is not simply to participate. I want to compete well, keep improving, and see how far I can take this.
That journey also helped inspire AthleForte and ManyOrbits. I believe older adults should have places where they can share what they are still doing, what they are still building, and what they are still becoming. For me, track has become part competition, part rehabilitation, and part proof that a serious health setback does not have to be the end of an athletic life. I may have started late, but I'm not finished yet.
- Entrepreneur
- Author
- Masters Athlete
