Show Standard-Examine- r 4E 5E 6E Dear Abby On the Pulse Ellen Goodman Thursday May 20 Ogden Utah 982 Older champs keep healthy through sports O finwnu By PATRICIA McCORMACK UPI Health Editor NEW YORK (UPI) — People on the road to the fountain of youth most days of their lives do one or more of the following: Swim push pedals row boats drive and putt golf balls run in all kinds of weather swing racquets ride high in the saddle How do we know? Such activities are markers on the route to longevity followed by a dozen sports champions 50 years of age and over dozen of plaudit-winnin- g The super-dupe- r oldsters selected by the editors of “50 Plus” magazine as members of its “First Annual 50 nursing homes “have a reputation for being places to go to die” And she says “If people don’t do Staying active can be a lifesaver When a person enters the later anything they will dieto “When you’re able keep them years of his life activity can be a busy attitudes change from ‘I’m determining factor in how he feels to die’ to ‘Wow! I’ve got mentally and physically and thus ready to live for” says Ms may not only enrich but prolong something Bentley life Often an older person whose It is when a person withdraws health is good has an attitude that and gives up that they die says him from being more active keeps Roy Van Orman assistant profeswant to accept the don’t “Many sor of gerontology at Weber State idea they themselves have painted College older people” says Van Instead of retiring to a life of about Orman leisure “many get more and more So often they deny that they’re active with things” says Van Orold Van Orman says he’s seen man Some become so busy and involved they wonder how they evpeople as old as 82 who say they’re not old enough to go to a Senior to work time had ery Citizens Center so they don’t beA person’s lifestyle during the come involved in available “producgrowing up and tive” years often continues “We activities The Golden Hours Center is a carry over the way we get along Citizens Center located at Senior involveof with people the degree 650 25th Street in Ogden The progment in church and school” Van Orman explains “If a person has rams offered are designed for been fairly active involved and seniors who can pretty much take participatory we find that lifestyle care of themselves says Jan Potter secretary for the center continues” Also “they maintain their own Anyone over 50 can go to the a center and transportation is ofPat Reenstjer-nindividuality” says fered of Retired the the local director daily from a large part of the Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) Ogden area Once there a person can find a wide variety of things to a national organization of volundo teers 60 years and older Classes are offered in such areas and of The variety personalities as ceramics yoga lapidary interests is challenging as RSVP leathercraft wood acts as a placement agency finding the right person to perform a carving sewing and clay sculptor-in- g Card games pool tables and needed service shuffleboard Mrs The important thing says keep others busy fun “It’s for them (older persons) Reenstjerna is older citizens can’t draw in they have to know them- to enjoy retirement” Ms Potter selves well enough to know the says “Many people wait until they kinds of activities that will keep are seniors to do many things” She says the people who come to them feeling good physically and mentally Older persons can decide the center don’t seem depressed what fits them best “Quite a lot come who don’t know This is one great advantage of anyone and are lonely” Mrs Potbeing older according to Van Or- ter notes “It’s comforting for them man “You don’t have to do what to know others are in the same other people tell you to all the position they are” time” As a parent he says a Society has a “you can’t do cerperson has to be there to provide tain things” attitude when they care Not so for a grandparent look at older people “Part of our responsibility in the They can decide how much or how little time they want to spend with gerontology department at Weber their grandchildren State is to help create attitude In the work force a certain job changes in society” says Van must be performed Not so in re- Orman tirement Society needs to see the value “If they want to work or volun- and quality of older people he teer services they may — but they says Television should show old don’t have to” says Van Orman people doing something besides usAs a person matures his ing Preparation H and Poly-gri- p priorities change and he realizes he adds “some things are not worth my Instead older people should be time anymore” says Van Orman viewed as they are “a tremendous The decision is theirs Even when resource” says Mrs Reenstjerna older people are restricted in their The picture would be an action activity because of a decline in shot with older people traveling energy choices are available” learning a new skill doing volunEven when health is seriously teer work playing strengthening impaired or there is sensory loss their community attending there is a need for activity church bouncing their grandchildirecactivities dren gardening hiking shopping Becky Bentley tor for Aspen Care Center says enjoying life in many active ways Stories by CECILY MARKLAND Special to the Standard-Examine- r so-call- 1 Team” include an tennis bike champ and an 41 holds national titles champ who The octogenarian champs each of whom has some arthritis are Clarence Chaffee 80 of Williamstown Mass and Fred Knoller 85 of Plus All-Ameri- ca 80-year-- Fla Lauderdale-by-the-Se- a Chaffee married 50 years and retired chairman of physical education at Williams College is a tennis whiz Knoller formerly of Newark NJ and a native of Trenton has been a widower for nine years A retired salesman for a food company Knoller has garnered cycling kudos for 68 years His first race was in 1913 d The champs stand erect as as they do the hands firmly They grip handles of their sports equipment a visitor remarked after shaking hands with each But the strength isn’t everywhere Each takes a little time to get from seated to standing position There’s no more springing from a chair with the agility of younger humans Knoller and Chaffee each of whom only wears glasses for reading are partly bionic Knoller has two artificial hip joints Doctors implanted a pacemaker in Chaffee’s chest after a heart attack last April By June he was back on the courts One of the best things about being 85 and a champ claims Knoller is the inspiration he’s able to pass on to young people One thing he tells them is to pick a lifetime sport and practice it The second thing he suggests is that they watch what they eat He doesn’t eat red meat and favors fowl and fish plus fresh vegetables and fruits — plus liver twice a week Chaffee by contrast isn’t a nutrition-supplemedevotee Most of his life however he’s avoided pastry and he thinks that helps Since his heart attack Upon advice of his doctor Chaffee said he’s not much of a red meat eater “When you are young you can run the extra weight off or burn it off” Chaffee said “As you grow older you need to push yourself away from the table Actually it isn’t too hard You don’t need that much food” To Chaffee one of the best things about 80 is “not having to make appointments At 80 you can be very flexible” he said And the bad thing about being 80 or over? “I find no hardships to speak of” said Knoller who has a steady girlfriend dances three hours twice a week and cycles 25 miles at a racer’s pace four times a week “Well it takes you longer to get dressed at 80” said Chaffee “The good Lord slows you white-thatche- ed nt down ‘J 7$ V "wW I ' N f' "s “If I get dressed for downhill skiing it takes to buckle the boots If I fall down me a half-hou- r to get up That’s why a it takes me y I prefer skiing No boot buckling and less falling” Chaffee holds 41 national tennis titles In September four months after the heart attack he won the Grand Slam of Senior Tennis That is all four national championships — indoor outdoor on grass on clay Late in ’81 he age group at a Super Senior swept his Tennis Tournament in Atlanta half-an-ho- ur vsoff' Clyde MuellerStandard-Examine- r Senior citizens like Skip Christensen are staying young by staying active and taking a more activist role in their communities Mrs Christensen a railroad employee for 25 years is seen here protesting against modifications in the railroad pension plan cross-countr- 80-pl- us Continued on Page 3E Not ready for a rocking chair f W A SerWce busy lifestyles enrich golden years' - r V Many older people aren’t content to lean back v SVN ' in a rocking chair and watch the world go by 'A n For them their golden years are not filled with stop sign but a signal to become more involved and active “It makes you think and feel young if you can stay halfway active” says Ben Bess of Sunset Bess age 65 and retired from the Air Force suffered a heart attack one year ago He says activity and a positive attitude have been most helpful in his recovery His activities include gardening and taking care of his fruit trees He does wood carving and enjoys fishing and ties his own flies But it’s his work with juveniles that keeps him feeling young Every Monday he puts in an day working in the juvenile court as a Volunteer Probation Officer “I counsel the kids and talk to the parents to see what action needs to be taken” says Bess The rewards are not monetary Instead says Bess he receives his rewards from trying to help a child — and they come when some of the parents or the juveniles themselves stop him on the street and express thanks for what he has done in their lives “You feel like you’re doing something for humanity” says Bess “After all you young people have to take care of this world after us V A ur V' V A At vf :4Mi old ones are t Clyde MuellerStandard-Examine- gone” Bess thinks attitude plays a big part in staying young “A lot is thinking positive You can worry yourself sick so to say” He advises younger people to get a good education and to do away with “hurrah for me” attitudes that get in the way of doing things for others V“ y- r a retiree who spends eight hours a week as a volunteer juvenile probation officer reviews a case prior to a court Ben Bess appearance I “Share a little with your neighbors” he says “and it all comes back to you” Ann Nye of North Ogden is finding that what she has shared and done for her family is coming back to her “A lot of families forget about the older members” says Mrs Nye “My family asks me constantly to go places with them” Mrs Nye is 69 years old She has spent the last 12 years as a widow Her four daughters live in the Ogden area and three sons are in Idaho She has 39 grandchildren and 14 great- grandchildren She says they take her to seminars and to symphonies they go to Lake Powell every summer “18 of us girls go to the Shakesperian Festival in Cedar City” and the latest trip took four generations of her family to Arches National Park for two days “We have good times together” she says Being active is “the only way to keep your sanity” says Mrs Nye She works at the Ogden LDS Temple two days a week and spends every Saturday afternoon at the LDS Genealogy Lib- rary She was taught at home to work to be productive Deterioration of the bones and high blood pressure have made her cut back her activities a little in recent years While she used to keep a big garden she only grows berries and tomatoes now “I can’t do what I used to and it really upsets me ” she says Frank Tolehurst believes “You can rest in the grave” Tolehurst who turned 67 in March stands 6'5" and has a tall list of activities too He retired from Hill Air Force Base in 1973 and believes “retirement is one of the greatest things that ever happened to anyone especially if you can stay busy” Tolehurst has been a member of Toastmasters for 15 years “They teach better listening thinking and speaking skills” he says He joined Toastmasters to help him make better speeches He uses that ability as a member of the American Cancer Society’s Speaker’s Bureau “I quit smoking seven years ago” he exp- -' lains “Now I’m trying to get other people to see the light” He had a bout with cancer in 1968 noting he was only given a 3 percent chance for survival’ So he feels lucky to have made it through and wants to pass his experiences on to others “Most volunteers do it for ourselves too and not just to help other people” he explains Other volunteer services are provided by Tolehurst as a member of the Golden Hours Kiwana Club One of the club’s biggest projects is making identification cards for Weber County Senior Citizens Even at 67 Tolehurst feels it’s important to try new things He got his ham radio operator license last summer and says he enjoys that “when I have time” He keeps physically active by attending a spa and jogging around the park with his dog He also tinkers with car repairs and other things in a shop he works with a friend “We’re making a motor bike trailer right now” he says After all he says “When you get useless you might as well die” which he has no intention of doing just yet |