In what kind of sports can you still go pro if you're in your mid-30s?
Asking for a friend who's fucking strong and athletic, but old as dust.
>>36814168
Chess.
Real answer: none, if you still have to start from the bottom at 30+.
>>36814216
>Chess.
What about golf?
>>36814168
He could very well be a competitive Masters athlete, but as for competing against seniors, it's unlikely he'd be able to go pro in any sports, regardless of talent.
Track and field has a lot of technique to learn first, and with the high loading in the more common sports, (sprinting, long jump, triple jump), an older athlete couldn't train often enough to even get to a national level. 12-16x bodyweight going through a single limb during the triple jump isn't something an older athlete can handle.
Perhaps throwing sports may be an option, but again I doubt it. Consider the slower route and compete in Masters, or just don't do sport. It's pretty bad for you.
mma
>>36814257
Throwing sports are one of those areas where older athletes can do well particularly with the heavier implements... but the tradeoff is that it takes a hell of a long time to get into the kind of physical shape where you're gonna be competitive with the shot or the hammer.
They're kind of like Strongman or Powerlifting in that respect. Also in the respect that they don't pay shit.
Lots of sports, but none of them popular for some reason:
Cycling
Archery
Cricket
Fencing
Horse riding
And lots of other stuff.
You can do Sanda (Chinese kickboxing) until you're 40. Good luck.
Darts
Long distance running. I know plenty of people who start later on life and later compete professionally.
Ed Corney was like 33 when he started bbing