And now, for a reminder that middle-age need not mean sitting around whinging, I bring you Dara Torres. The Olympian who mounted an improbable comeback at age 41 is still competing one year later despite pesky knee problems and a rambunctious toddler at home.

Over the weekend, she competed in the world swimming finals for the 50 meter free, alas finishing eighth. Tonight she’s skedded to appear on “The Daily Show.”

She took time out of the pool long enough last year to pen “Age Is Just a Number” with coauthor Elizabeth Weil. In this frank account, published in April, Torres talks about her struggles with bulimia, failed marriages and other missteps along the way to her fifth Olympic Games in Beijing. It hasn’t always been easy but Torres isn’t the type to scare off easily; she has always been blessed with a strong competitive drive and financial resources to pull her through various setbacks.

Best of all: She never intended her last comeback, but rather fell into it after resuming swimming during pregnancy.

“I didn’t consult any scientists to see if my comeback plans were crazy,” she writes. “I suppose I didn’t want to hear if they were. But later I learned that lifestyle, not genetics, is the primary reason older athletes slow down, and that made a lot of sense to me.”

Torres hasn’t ruled out the 2012 Games, but for now she’s ready for a much needed break. The rest of us would be well-served to heed her message: Don’t let age make you give up on your dream.

Earlier: Oh snap out of it: Why midlife crises can be so boring, Lessons from my mother