Here's a rundown on SecondAct.com awards honoring 2011 standouts in eight categories.
More in Best Second Act Awards 2011
December, 26 2011
Day 8: The former Microsoft exec's ambitious literacy program opens new libraries daily in impoverished countries worldwide.
December, 25 2011
Day 7: The insurance salesman had no literary credentials, but he knew how to use social media to become a bestselling author.
December, 24 2011
Day 6: The psychiatrist delayed retirement to launch the Soldiers Project, a nationwide network that aids traumatized veterans returning home.
December, 23 2011
Day 5: A 2,000-mile commute is no problem for this Oklahoma City mother of 11, who's working on her master's degree at Harvard.
December, 22 2011
Day 4: Overweight and laid off, Gruno lost 40 pounds and launched a healthy raw-foods chip empire.
December, 20 2011
Day 2: The rocker and his wife open a New Jersey restaurant where patrons can do volunteer work to pay for meals.
December, 19 2011
Day 1: This year Nyad set a defiant example of how not to let age interfere with striving for your personal best.
December, 19 2011
Honoring the game-changing, rule-bending innovators who raised the bar for the rest of us in 2011.
January, 11 2012