Brave New Thinking

A subject near and dear to me is how little attention is given to senior level athletics. Everyone knows who the winning pitchers are in baseball, the current leading quarterbacks in football, but does anyone know who is representing their state in the National Senior Games? The fastest growing segment of the population are the men and women over fifty years old. Yet there are no recognized athletic role models for them. There might be an occasional article about someone over 90 breaking a world record, but not a word about a 60 year old breaking an American age group record.

The fifties through the eighties can be not only active years but athletic and even competitive as well. I know a lot of people who are amazing senior athletes. All of them have in common, robust good health, high energy and a desire to challenge and overcome the stereotypes of aging. Growing older is inevitable, but the aging process can be greatly slowed down. That’s no secret. The internet is full of articles about the positive effects of exercise in the “Golden Years’. So why don’t more seniors buy into it and get moving? Because they don’t see any role models showing what’s possible.

Sadly, there are plenty of role models out there blazing a trail that could be followed, if their effort were only known about. What will it take to change that? It will start with thinking about aging in a brave new way. The media and the athletic equipment manufactures must not only see the need but also realize the profit potential. Seniors have money to spend, but need to see value before spending it. They need to see strong healthy seniors competing and know that they could be doing the same. They need to see age records being broken, heroes to cheer for. When their peer groups are regularly in the news and advertising, then being senior and being athletic will become normal and excepted.

The 90 year old breaking a marathon record is not normal, and seniors know that. It was an interesting piece of news but quickly forgotten. Inspiration doesn’t come from a once in a while interesting article. It requires regular coverage of other seniors doing what they can imagine themselves doing. I know that healthy eating, smart training and adequate rest will allow me to become athletic even being over sixty. This can be learned from any of a thousand articles about senior health and fitness. But unless inspired to get off the couch to begin with, they are not going to seek out those articles. A quest for knowledge comes only after the flame of desire is ignited. The initial spark comes from seeing and believing what’s possible. Then they can begin their own journey, following in the foot steps of other successful senior athletes.

It’s not just a step, it’s a start.

Dave