Oprah Winfrey once doubted she would live to see 70, but says she’s ‘stronger, wiser and more energetic’ with age

As children, birthdays are frequently filled with joy and excitement, but as time passes, feelings of fear and anxiety can creep in—not less than that was the case for Al Roker. Recently, as he prepared for his seventieth birthday on August 20, The “Today” show presenter met with Oprah Winfrey, who shared her perspective on aging.

“I feel like there’s not that much time left, and I’m okay with that,” she said when asked about her attitude at age 70. “I have a sense of urgency about living well.”

Winfrey, who celebrated her seventieth birthday in January, never imagined she would reach the milestone as a toddler.

“I remember many, many years ago, when I was a young girl, I always thought I would never live to see 60 or 70. I had a number in my head that I thought, OK, I’ll be out by then,” she said, explaining how growing up on welfare in Milwaukee shaped her perspective on aging. “(So) I was excited to see that number.”

However, Winfrey also noted that caring for her physical health has helped her shift her perspective; something she admits she may not have been able to do had she stayed within the circumstances of her childhood. According to the media mogul, undergoing knee surgery in 2021 catapulted her journey.

“(It) was the best thing I ever did,” she admitted, reflecting on how devastating her pain was before the surgery. “I really felt like I had a new opportunity to live in my body in a way that I hadn’t been able to for years because of (the) weight — and the weight made my knees even worse.”

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Facing his fears, Winfrey encouraged Roker not to be afraid of his latest accomplishment.

“Don’t be afraid,” she said. “The amazing thing is that your heart has been pumping, pumping, pumping, pumping for you for 69 solid years, almost taking you to 70. It’s doing it right on time, just for you!”

Despite initial trepidation about turning 70, Roker shared his belief that “age reveals who you are,” which Winfrey confirmed.

“I think I just became smarter, stronger, more energetic, aware and alert than ever before,” she said.

Part of that growth got here from what she calls her “greatest gift”: the flexibility to live in the current moment.

“I’m not a person who worries. I’ll worry when something comes up,” she explained. “Because no matter what’s going on in your life, you can separate it and be in the here and now.”