It's never too late for a sporting life




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It's never too late for a sporting life

by Shaunagh O'Connor, the Power with Age

December 4, 2003

There was this 100-year-old runner, 71-year-old body builder and 68-year-old long distance swimmer.

It's not the start of a joke, but the real story of keeping fit well into retirement.

A new book, launched this week by Melbourne author Dawn Hartigan, looks at some of Australia 's fittest over-50s in an effort to inspire others to get fit and stay active.

Hartigan includes the story of Charlie Booth, who still runs at 100, performed in the World Masters Games at 89 and has a fan in Olympian Cathy Freeman.

And there is former football player and coach Tommy Hafey, 71, whose daily morning routine is a 10km run, a swim, 200 push-ups and 600 sit-ups.

"I got involved in the book because I was trying to encourage people to get active and get up off their backsides, particularly older folk who often use old age as an excuse when laziness is the reason," Hafey said.

Hartigan, 47, began athletics at 34 and pole-vaulting at 38, and is now a world champion vaulter.

She said she modelled her book on an American one called Old Age is Not For Sissies, and aimed to demonstrate the benefits of an active life by profiling 39 older athletes.

"Its hard to say which one was most outstanding, because they have all developed a lifestyle; they have all developed a passion for a sport," she said.

"If you go a quarter of the way they have gone, you'll have incredible energy and vitality."