Despite having a significant older population in Australia, ageism and discrimination runs rife. This attitude often means retirees (especially recent ones) feel listless, seen as obsolete when their inspirational stories should be valued instead.

To break down stereotypes and invigorate our older population, we interviewed three Australian icons about why a long life is priceless, and why retirement is so much more than just an ending.

These icons included Kay Cottee AO — the first woman to sail single-handed, non-stop and unassisted around the world, and Li Cunxin — also known as Mao’s Last Dancer.