It’s smooth skating for active 87-year-old
When it’s Senior Skate at Deep River Arena, Guy Lemire, 87, is sure to be there.
Lemire owns an “87” sweater, passed on to him from another senior skater and former speedskater, Al Rose. When Rose turned 88, he passed his sweater on to Guy, saying he’d never be 87 again.
Lemire says he was born on skates. “I grew up 70 miles west of Quebec City, and everybody skated and skied.” Now he lives on the shore of the Ottawa River, and is an avid kayaker.
“I feel so blessed,” says Lemire, who retired 32 years ago from Atomic Energy of Canada Limited. “We were a family of eight, I was the oldest. It’s just luck. I’m the surviving one.
“I started skating around four,” he says, “and I was rollerblading for many years. I did that with my grandsons and friends.”
Now he just ice skates, cross-country skies and snowshoes. “I’m an outdoor person and I have to get out. My advice to seniors is to make sure you keep physically and mentally active. That’s well known.”
During the winter there are as many as 25 seniors doing senior skate in Deep River, he said. “The people who have skated all their lives are fine. The ones trying to pick up skating at a late age, it’s harder and they have to be more careful.” Senior Skate in Deep River is held Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
If you live in Ottawa, there are lots of opportunities for senior skating as well. You can find all senior skating days, times and locations on the City of Ottawa’s website, www.ottawa.ca.