But not Jane Mountford.

In fact the older she gets the more she does, and the 59-year-old wouldn't have it any other way.

Jane is married to former professional footballer Bob Mountford. He was signed by the late Sir Stanley Matthews from school to play for Port Vale and went on to star with Rochdale, Huddersfield and Halifax Town before heading to Australia to finish his career at Newcastle K.B. United.

The couple have lived in New South Wales since the beginning of the 80s and Bob now coaches a local football team. But it's his wife's name that regularly appears on the sports pages now, not his.

For she's a triathlete and has just been selected to represent Australia in Vancouver at the Worlds Olympic Distance Triathlon in June. She's taking part in the 60-64 age group and will be competing against 19 other women in her biggest competition to date.

She's one of New South Wales's oldest seriously competing female triathletes and has competed in 25 triathlons including three ironman distance events entailing a 112-mile bike ride, a 26-mile run and a two-mile swim. She's won dozens of events and has the silverware to prove it.

What's staggering is that Jane didn't take up the sport till she hit 40 and it's all down to Bob. "We were watching a triathlon when Bob turned to me and said I should do one. He said you used to swim, you've started jogging (he got me doing that too) and anyone can ride a bike.

"I thought I could no more do a triathlon than fly. But he got me my first ever bike at 41-years-old and six months later I raced and won a gold medal," says Jane who is coached by Bob and credits him with pushing her out of her comfort zone.

She's up at 5am every morning and runs on the beach with the family dog, Chief. Then she has a swim and a bike ride before she sits down to breakfast. "I'm disciplined but I don't consider it hard work because I enjoy it so much and it definitely keeps me young. I've got loads more energy than I had when I was younger."

Jane, who was born in Halifax, used to be a member of the town's swimming club as a youngster and played squash at Riverside Squash Club, Ripponden. She and Bob, who have been married almost 25 years and have two children, Paul, 25, and Anna, 23, were back in Calderdale earlier this year to visit family and friends. Jane's two sisters live locally.

"It was great to catch up and see everyone but I don't consider it home any more. Australia is now home," she says.

Jane, a former smoker, fits her training in between a part-time job and looking after her family. She says she's definitely out to win in Vancouver and has already checked out the competition. "Keeping fit is one thing, but it's great to have a goal and my goal is to come back from Canada with a medal."