Eleanor Roosevelt once proclaimed, “Beautiful young people are accidents of nature, but beautiful old people are works of art.” Not many people would consider the ripe age of 36 to be old, but in the world of sports it is.

Serafin Carmona, a longtime exercise rider turned 36-year-old apprentice jockey, is another shining example that it is never too late in life to become what you want to be.

Carmona currently sits in second place in the rider standings at Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minn., and is headed back out west to Santa Anita Park to compete in the fall meet starting Friday, Sept. 27.

“I was living my life, doing what I love,” said Carmona, who was an exercise rider in Southern California for more than a decade. “But I always felt in my heart that I could make it [as a jockey]. I never thought about my age.”

All of this got us wondering what athletes in other sports didn’t allow age to get in the way of a dream as they pursued becoming a rookie in their respective sport despite any perceived age limitations.

Hockey: Bob Barlow became the oldest rookie to ever play in the National Hockey League when he debuted at age 34 for the Minnesota North Stars on Oct. 11, 1969. He scored on a 30-foot shot, beating the Philadelphia Flyers goalie Bernie Parent in the first minute of his first game.

Not to be outdone, Cornelius “Connie” Madigan made his NHL debut on Feb. 6, 1973, with the St. Louis Blues at age 38. Nicknamed “Mad Dog,” not only did Madigan play 20 regular season games as a defenseman for the injury-riddled Blues, he played in five playoff games that season. Madigan later appeared in the movie “Slap Shot” as Ross “Mad Dog” Madison.

Football: Ola Kimrin became the oldest rookie to ever play in a National Football League game at the age of 32, when he played five games for the Washington Redskins in 2004. Kimrin’s record subsequently was passed by a couple of Australian-born punters: Ben Graham was a few months older than Kimrin when he debuted for the New York Jets in 2005 and Sav Rocca made his first start for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2007 at age 34.

The oldest first-round selection in NFL history was quarterback Brandon Weeden, who was 28 years old when the Cleveland Browns drafted him out of Oklahoma State University.

Satchel Paige (WikiMedia Commons/Acme Newspictures)

Baseball: Satchel Paige was officially listed at age 42 when he became the oldest rookie in American League history for the Cleveland Indians in 1948. However, many estimated Paige to actually be in his 50s when this occurred. He appeared in 21 games and helped Cleveland win the pennant with a 6-1 record. Paige, of course, was a former star in the Negro leagues. He once said, “Age is a question of mind over matter.”

The Kansas City A’s inked Paige to a one-day contract in 1965, but he did not view the Sept. 25 MLB appearance as a gimmick and gave up just one hit against the Boston Red Sox over three innings. Paige was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1971.

Basketball: Pablo Prigioni became the oldest rookie in the history of the National Basketball Association when the point guard made his debut with the New York Knicks in 2012 at age 35. Prior to that, the Argentine was a member of his country’s national team and won a bronze medal in the 2008 Olympic Games. Prigioni also had a successful career playing professionally in Europe and was a two-time All-Euro League selection.

Serafin Carmona is an inspiration and horse racing fans can look forward to watching him continue to pursue his dreams this fall at Santa Anita Park.

Cartoonist Charles Schulz offered, “Just remember, once you are over the hill you begin to pick up speed.” If that’s true, in a sport that’s all about speed, you just might want to place a wager on Serafin Carmona at Santa Anita Park.