This week we bring you three stories of seniors who won’t slow down! Whether hangin’ with Globetrotters, winning gold on the track, or training hardcore for triathlons, this week’s seniors can’t stop, won’t stop moving! Caregivers, home care aides and loved ones can take inspiration from these seniors who are movin’ right along.
They say everyone gets their 15 minutes of fame, and Virginia McLaurin is no exception. She got her turn in early 2016, at age 106, when she was honored for her volunteer work at the White House during a Black History Month celebration. Virginia spent more than 20 years as a foster grandmother to many Washington D.C children and teens, and has more than 50 (great-great-great) grandchildren of her own. She was over the moon when she had the chance to meet the first black president, whom she found very handsome, and the former First Lady, who admired her on-trend blue manicure. But that was more than a year ago, and Virginia is still hobnobbing with celebrities. In mid-March, she celebrated her 108th birthday, this time with the Harlem Globetrotters! Two Globetrotters visited the charter school across her street, and they marked the supersenior’s big day with a giant cake and a photo op. Virginia did some dazzling of her own, when she confirmed she’s still got it by spinning a basketball on the tip of one finger!
A 93-year-old woman from Hong Kong, Cheung Suet-ling, was the oldest athlete competing in the World Masters Athletics Championship held in Daegu, South Korea, last month. Cheung ran in the 60-meter and the 200-meter, finishing the 200-meter in 24.19 seconds! She won gold for both events, bringing pride to her home city of Hong Kong, and setting the bar high for her daughter, who competed in the tournament’s women aged 55 – 59 shot put. Cheung is proud of her win, and hopes she’s encouraging other ‘old runners’ to join her on the track.
Septuagenarian athletes Lois and Al Leon were teenage sweethearts, and after raising a family, they caught the triathlon bug. After moving from New York to Florida, they found their six-days-a-week training schedule easier to keep during winter. They run, bike and swim all around their adopted home town of Miami, and agree that their competitive spirits keep them moving. Al swam in college, and while Lois raised children, she never competed formally until they took up triathlons in their 50s. They love the outdoors, and the shared pursuit of victory, and last year, Lois placed first in her age group in the national championship. She plans to celebrate her birthday this coming November by running the Miami Man Half Iron. Which birthday? Her 75th! Go, Lois!
