Fifty-three-year-old Greg Norman's unexpected resurrection in last week's British Open golf championship and the comeback of 41-year-old Olympic swimmer's Dara Torres might be more than simply fascinating sports stories.

Norman's strong showing -- he was the oldest player ever to lead the venerable tournament after three rounds before finishing third -- and Torres' try for more Olympic gold in Beijing next month might serve as moments of inspiration for a generation of aging weekend warriors.

"No question," said T.W. Pulliam, PGA director of golf at The Dominion Club at Wyndham in Glen Allen, talking about Norman's out-of-the-blue performance. "I would certainly hope people would see this and say, 'It's never too late.'"

Baby boomers and others beyond the traditional age of competitive sports don't need a lot of encouragement when it comes to acknowledging the importance of exercise -- even if they don't all carry through by actually jogging, lifting weights or taking aerobics classes.

According to the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association, the number of health-club members 55 or older in 2005 was 8 million, an increase of 314 percent since 1990. The number in the 35-to-54 age category, 13.5 million, represents an increase of 113 percent.

The success of aging famous athletes on the world stage might lead even more boomers to join health clubs or sign up for more golf lessons, which would certainly please Pulliam and other teaching pros. At the least, such triumphs of age will reinforce what boomers already know, said Hunter Schwartz, director of operations at the James Center YMCA in downtown Richmond.

"The boomers are really the first generation that's grown up with exercise as part of their life," he said.

Women, in particular, have had to overcome stereotypes to participate in athletics. Schwartz remembers coaching a female athlete of the boomer generation who recalled growing up and hearing her mother say that "if I ever saw a woman running on the side of the road I should stop and offer to help her."

Torres' story -- she has already won nine Olympic medals, will become the first swimmer from the United States to compete in five Olympics and gave birth to a daughter two years ago -- will resonate particularly with women, said Karen Holloway, a professional triathlete and swim coach.

"It's very inspiring," Holloway said. "I think what she's done is amazing. It might open the door to more older athletes actually who have the potential to go elite. But it's also motivating for the everyday moms or older ladies who say, 'Well, I can accomplish getting in shape.'"

It will be interesting to see if Torres' success leads to a surge of older swimmers after the Olympics, said Damien Howell, a physical therapist in Midlothian, who also is a distance runner. He recalls how Frank Shorter's victory in the 1972 Olympic marathon helped fuel the running boom of the 1970s.

It also will be interesting to see whether Howell and other physical therapists get more business in the coming months if overzealous boomers launch full-speed into exercise trying to emulate Torres, Norman and other elite athletes and hurt themselves in the process.

"Competitive athletes are at risk for injury," Howell said. "The older competitive athlete has an added risk factor of age."

In May, the American College of Sports Medicine convened a symposium on "Overuse Injuries in the Baby Boomer: The Results of Years of Abuse." Health-care professionals discussed the problems of acute injuries such as broken bones, ruptured tendons and ligaments, torn rotator cuffs, ankle sprains and knee injuries suffered at a young age. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons even has a name for sports injuries among boomers: "boomeritis."

The phenomenon of the aging boomer athlete was documented by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission this decade when it reported that sports injuries among boomers increased 33 percent from 1991 to 1998. As boomers continue to try to stay young and fit, chances are this trend will only get worse.

It's important for aging athletes to understand Torres is a supremely focused athlete with a strenuous workout regimen and the benefits of a support staff and perhaps favorable genetics.

That's why Howell said it's necessary to choose role models "you can relate to, preferably local." Howell, now in his late 50s, said when he began running in his 20s, he competed against an excellent runner nearing age 60 who inspired him to set a goal of being able to run as fast at 60 as he could in his 20s.

A sensible approach to exercise is the way to proceed for boomers -- seeking guidance from personal trainers, coaches or health-care professionals -- along with the knowledge you're likely not to be able to replicate the success of a Torres or a Norman.

"But," said the YMCA's Schwartz of the inspiration derived from admiring performances of athletes such as Torres and Norman, "it does give them hope."
Contact Bill Lohmann at (804) 649-6639 or wlohmann@timesdispatch.com.