Do not despair!!
. .I was the same age than you when I started more than 10 years ago, and I heard worst or the same things that you have heard. I specially remember one "colleage" trying to dicourage me saying that NOBODY will hire me at that age, etc...., he was a Fligth Enginer on 727 at that time and that seems the best job that I can dream of (I still like it), he almost convience me, but I followed my dreams and hopes and.....He is now out of a flying job and I am an ATR captain (Having done a lot of different flying jobs, and been unemployed from time to time).
Yes, maybe I have been very lucky, but I never surrender my truly vocation.
SO, KEEP ON TRYING...