At 86, Anastasia Gerolymatou holds the Guinness World Record for the oldest female windsurfer. For this inspiring Greek senior citizen, age is definitely just a number. DW paid her a visit on the island of Kefalonia.
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00:00Anastasia Geromilatou from the Greek island of Kefalonia
00:05holds the Guinness World Record for the oldest female windsurfer.
00:09She recently turned 86 and is still demonstrating
00:13not only her remarkable dedication to the sport
00:16but also her lust for life and adventurous spirit.
00:22When I surf, it's fantastic.
00:25It's like you're on top of the wave,
00:28you lift your fins and you're gone.
00:31Without a motor, without anything,
00:34it gives you so much air, it fills your soul.
00:40Anastasia has always been very active and loved sports.
00:44She got into windsurfing completely by chance at the age of 41.
00:49She's never taken windsurfing lessons and is entirely self-taught.
00:55We were in Las Palmas on vacation with a friend of mine
01:01and we wanted to get to know each other better.
01:05And he started talking to me.
01:08He said,
01:09I haven't been to New York in days,
01:12I haven't been to any sport.
01:14Nothing, nothing at all.
01:16Nothing, dead.
01:17Suddenly, deep inside, I see someone doing windsurfing.
01:21Honestly, I don't know how to put it,
01:23it's the first time I've seen it.
01:25And I say to him,
01:26my husband,
01:27my husband, my friend Louise,
01:29do you see that?
01:30That's it, that's what I like.
01:34Anastasia also rides a motor scooter
01:37and has a self-made trailer which she uses to transport her equipment.
01:41She's always ready for the next adventure,
01:44living life to the full.
01:48Everything is fine.
01:50I do it in Sanida,
01:52we go to Kopi,
01:53I really like it here,
01:54there's a little bit of air.
01:56That's why I love it there,
01:58it's quite far,
01:59more than 300 meters.
02:01And I've done it in 5 minutes,
02:047 minutes I went and came back.
02:06And I even cut a candle
02:08and I brought one,
02:09I can't believe I've been to the island.
02:11It had to start,
02:12not with this weather,
02:14with a little bit of air.
02:17Or at least a little bit of breath,
02:19to try to lift the sail,
02:21to do these,
02:22the others,
02:23balance,
02:25to get the air,
02:30to stay in the sail and not go to the sea.
02:33You have to learn first to turn back
02:36and not to go too far.
02:38It would be very nice to turn
02:41and learn here in front,
02:44because you haven't learned
02:47that there are rocks,
02:50rocks,
02:51and you might break your fin
02:53and not be able to turn back.
02:55It's dangerous,
02:57that's why you have to learn here first.
03:01In June 2024,
03:03Anastasia made another of her dreams come true.
03:06Breaking her own record,
03:08she surfed across the part of the Ionian Sea
03:11between Kefalonia and Zakynthos,
03:13a distance of 11 nautical miles.
03:17This time I wanted to go to Prague
03:20after October 16,
03:22to do the last part,
03:24where they add the 86,
03:27so no one will tell me to go to Koutsa.
03:31Anastasia has one more wish,
03:33to find the man from whom she first rented out
03:35windsurfing equipment all those years ago,
03:38on the day her lifelong passion for this sport
03:40was born.
03:42Please, if you hear my message,
03:46call me,
03:48contact me,
03:50and I'll give you a vacation in Kefalonia.
03:53I'll stay above the airport,
03:55Kefalonia,
03:56five minutes from the airport.
03:58I'll take him anyway,
04:00from the airport.
04:01If he tells me that he's coming,
04:03I'll be very happy.
04:06Until then,
04:07Anastasia will continue to surf
04:09and live life on her own terms,
04:11inspiring many others with her philosophy
04:14that age is nothing but a number.