By now you probably know that 41-year-old Dara Torres is headed to the Olympics for the fifth time, becoming the first American swimmer to achieve the feat. Torres, who first won gold in the 1984 Games, will hit the pool in Beijing almost 25 years later, looking to win her 10th medal and first as a mom.

A 28-time all-American during her days at Florida, Torres has captivated the country with her remarkable run this summer, even setting a new American record in the 50-meter freestyle over the weekend. As exciting as it is to follow Torres and her age-defying successes, let's take a moment to figure out how all this is possible.

How exactly, can a 41-year-old hop in the water and beat swimmers half her age? Can training, diet, desire and natural ability supersede the natural process of aging? For all my over-40 friends, understand that there's no implication here that Torres is old, but for a swimmer, she's definitely the team grandma.

If we move out of the pool for a second, we can look at other sports and see older athletes making it happen on the fields of play. Greg Maddux (42) is still going strong for the San Diego Padres, Dikembe Mutumbo (42) started 25 games at center for the Houston Rockets this season and just last month Chris Chelios (46) became the oldest active player to win the Stanley Cup.

But while Maddux, Mutumbo and Chelios are remarkable, Torres' efforts in an individual sport are more impressive. We're not talking about throwing strikes, blocking shots or shooting pucks, Torres is the fastest female swimmer in the country - decades after she left the Gainesville campus. This is crazy.

My dad swam 1 ¾ mile in the pool the other day and he's 70-years-old. He didn't do it particularly quickly, but for 70, I would say he's one of the steadiest long-distance swimmers in the New York area. He has gotten better and stronger during the past decade because he works hard at it - he watches his diet, walks a little more with my mom each day, hits the weights and wants to stay young and healthy. He's doing an outstanding job and looks better than he did when I was in high school. Did he get younger?

Nope. But he has listened to what experts have said and has read about ways to stay healthy and in shape. And while my father's exploits in the pool don't rival Torres' feats, the premise is the same. We know more about how to stay strong and at the pinnacle of our athletics performance for longer, and it's changing the world of sports.

So when Dara Torres gets on the blocks in Beijing next month, let's celebrate her passion for the water and desire to represent her country. Will it be the last time we see her swimming for the United States? Maybe not - she could become the first team great-grandmother in 2012.