Peggy Whitson's job demands a daily twohour workout in a gym where weight has no meaning and the view changes at 17, 000 miles an hour.
Whitson makes it look easy. At 57, she is the oldest woman to fly in space, breaking the record last November when she began her third longterm stay at the International Space Station. After returning home in September, 2017, the NASA astronaut felt matteroffact about the age milestone(里程碑).
"It wasn't a record I was seeking for, "Whitson said. "I was 42 and 48 for my first two space flights. I feel lucky that I was able to get to do another one in my 50s. I don't think people should let age discourage them, even on those jobs that require some amount of physical fitness. The oldest man is John Glenn (at 77), and we've had male astronauts in their 60s before, so it's just a matter of time before women start flying in space at this age".
On the earth, she stays fit by weightlifting, biking, playing basketball and water skiing. She shared what it's like to live in microgravity："It's like you're in a swimming pool, but you don't have to worry about breathing. If I push off from one side, I'm going to float to the other side. Every direction feels exactly the same, which is really hard for your brain to grasp, but it's amazing how fast you adapt.
It's a big shock for the body to come back to Earth—everything is so heavy. We spend a lot of time getting used to being back in gravity again. Back pain was really the most dramatic for me this time. For me, coming home is harder than going up into space. "
