Now 73, Ginny MacColl has retired as a professional dancer, but still enchants her audiences. Her incredible story of breaking into the traditionally exclusive world of competitive bodybuilding has been an inspiration for many. MacColl is widely recognized as one of the most agile, resilient thinkers. Three times, she’s passed the American Ninja Warrior course, proving both her extreme physical prowess and her indomitable spirit. At 63, she truly began to transform the world around her, seeking and encouraging creativity everywhere she could. Her daughter, Jessie Graff, a famous stuntwoman, was the one who dared her to do her first pull-up.
MacColl’s story is one of perseverance. In addition, she kept a full calendar even into her old age. 1974—Following her break into show business, she found major success as a professional dancer, landing a key role in the Broadway musical Pippin alongside Bob Fosse. Dance lessons served as a cultural touchstone for her childhood. Her mom and dad put her in every class they could think of to get her to overcome her barrier – shyness! This formative experience of tiresome physical expression would serve as a bedrock foundation for her time spent in dance, as well as eventually fitness arts.
At a spry 62, MacColl retired following a successful, 20-year career in radio ad sales. Now she has reached a critical juncture in her life. After 13 years of marriage, she left and returned to her family’s lake house in the Poconos. She moved with her two young kids after the divorce. This shift gave her space and time to prioritize her own personal development journey, including healthy lifestyle and fitness pursuits. Accepting her daughter’s challenge to do a pull-up was just the start of Jen’s journey.
Now, at 73, MacColl can do 17 strict pull-ups in a row, one of the amazing expressions of her training and commitment. She doesn’t want age to be an excuse for people not to exercise.
“Change the way you look at things, and the things you look at change.” – Ginny MacColl
MacColl’s poetry of movement embodies her rock solid conviction in pursuit of self-expression and personal empowerment. As she puts it, “Movement—dance—is another language… It’s a physical art form that expresses what’s within you. This perspective has guided her through various challenges, including feelings of inadequacy during her school years when she was ranked by IQ scores.
MacColl didn’t allow those early failures to stop her. Now, she reaches more than 130,000 followers on Instagram with daily doses of inspiration and empowerment—using her own fitness journey as motivation for others. Her energetic social media presence makes her a natural fit for the people looking for motivation. In class, she encourages them to push themselves and not just in a physical way.
MacColl’s trip isn’t just about tackling miles or getting in shape. As someone who has always used her competitive experiences to become the best version of herself. She competes on American Ninja Warrior for the fun of it. Her other goal is to show that it’s never too late to follow your passions and to redefine what’s possible.
“I was devastated. I felt I’d let down all the seniors in the world.” – Ginny MacColl
Looking back on the experience and trials she’s faced only fueled her fire even further. MacColl is deeply devoted to the work of pushing herself. She’s convinced she’ll be doing even bigger things deep into her 80s and 90s.