“By the time you go on Medicare, I will have used it up.” 

Charlie Sturgis, the godfather of Park City, Utah’s 500+ miles of singletrack, continues to slay powder and dirt and scale 5.11s in his 70s. OTM’s Ben Van Treese sat down with Sturgis to see what it means to charge—intelligently—when your sponsors are Medicare and Social Security.  

If anyone deserves credit for turning Park City into a playground for 100 Year Athletes, it’s local legend Charlie Sturgis. He’s the former co-owner of White Pine Touring, the local shop that brought mountain biking to the area. He’s also a co-founder and former executive director of the Mountain Trails Foundation (MTF). Under his leadership, MTF and Park City developed over 500 miles of singletrack, leading the town to earn the International Mountain Bicycling Association's first ever Gold Ride Center designation. 

At 72 years old, Sturgis still climbs 5.11c/d outdoors, skis (backcountry, XC, and alpine), and rips on a mountain bike. It’s hard to imagine anyone having more fun in their 70s than Sturgis, which is why OTM’s Ben Van Treese decided to interview him for our 100 Year Athlete Spotlight series.

What are secrets to Charlie’s longevity in mountain sports? Watch the interview to find out.

Charlie's Interview

Highlights:

• On climbing 5.12s one day: 
• “Whether I make it or not, I’m not going to get stressed about it … that’s how you get hurt.”

• “Going hard too much too often is going to come back and bite you.”

• High expectations v. expectations you haven’t prepared for
• “Charlie’s no sweat workout” 
• Don’t waste yourself in the gym if you want to go hard outdoors. 

New to the 100 Year Athlete? Click here for the intro video.

Want more 100YA action? Check out Mike McGurl’s story here.