80-plus athletes still fiery competitors
When I first started running, skiing and cycling, there were very few competitors in the 60-plus age class. Most of our races would see only two or three competitors over 60, and almost never any competitor over 70.
How things have changed. Today the 60-plus groups will usually have many competitors. For example, in this year’s Vernon 10K, there were 17 runners in the 60-69 class, and 12 runners over 70 year of age.
The 80-plus class is still small, but I expect we will see it grow over the next few years. However, we do have several 80-plus athletes in the Okanagan, and I want to tell you about three of these “super seniors.”
West Kelowna’s Joyce Mulligan, at 83, is one of the fittest women I know. Her athletic journey began many years ago, when, as a young mother she enrolled her kids in gymnastics. She thought that it looked like fun and managed to talk the instructor into letting her join the kids.
That experience started her taking yoga and eventually teaching yoga.
In 1972, she moved to Westbank, bought a bike and began commuting to her nursing job at Kelowna General Hospital. When the Telemark cross-country ski trails opened in the early ’70s, she took up cross-country skiing.
At 60 years of age, she was talked into going on a group bicycle ride. She now enters many of 100-km rides. One of her fondest memories is a week-long ride along the Oregon Coast. She has had a few injuries along the way, but has not let them stop her.
Last November she was hit by a bus while riding and suffered serious injuries, but was back on the bike this summer. She rides about 100-120 km a week, swims two days a week, and goes to the gym three days a week.
Cliff Serwa is well known for many reasons. He was an MLA for 10 years and served as minister of the environment. He and his partner, Doug Mervyn, were the founders of Big White.
At 83, Serwa is an amazing cyclist. He has always played sports. He was on school teams in soccer, basketball, softball and basketball. He got back into basketball as an MLA playing with other MLAs, press gallery members and parks staff. He still plays once a week with a masters group that started 23 years ago.
In an email, Serwa explained: “Cycling started about eight years ago when I borrowed a mountain bike and entered the 50-mile ride in the Tour De Palm Springs. What a wake up call! I finished tired and cramping badly, but was fascinated by the sport and just what good riders can accomplish.
“Since that time, I have gone on many 100 mile rides both locally and in Palm Springs. Won King of the Mountain for my age group the past two years in the Axel Merckx Gran Fondo.
Always a competitor, I entered the +55 B.C. Senior Games in Coquitlam in 2016. Won gold in the hillclimb, time trial and road race in my age class. Had a nice repeat in Vernon this year and won gold in all three races again. The beauty of cycling is that I am confident in being able to continue in the sport for many more years of participation and enjoyment.”
Bruce Butcher is another impressive 83-year-old. He grew up in Kelowna, He and Serwa were teammates on the school basketball team. Butcher runs most of the Canadian Tire Road races and the Interior Cross Country running series.
In an email, he wrote: “I can thank my daughter Marianne for getting me started after my retirement at age 67. She had successfully completed her first marathon and I was looking for a new challenge. She suggested I start running and that’s how it all began.
“Three years later, I completed my first and only full marathon in Victoria. It took me over five hours, but I still managed to finish in eighth place thanks to a shortage of participants in my age group.
“One piece of advice came from Willis Greenaway who was running in his 80s in the Canadian Tire Interior Running Series. I cornered him after a series race and asked what I should do to still run at his age, expecting some secret formula that I could use to my advantage. What he said was ‘If you want to run for as long as I have, you better take good care of yourself.’ Turned out to be the best advice I have ever had!
“So far its been a great journey thanks to the support of my family, the running and fitness community of Kamloops, the Okanagan and every other location in the province where I’ve had the opportunity to swim, bike or run.
“Here are my stats to date — 1 full marathon, 34 half marathons, 100+ road races, 64 x-country races, 53 sprint/standard distance triathlon/ duathlons, 6 ITU World Championship Age Group triathlons/ duathlons. With 10 years to go!”
Kelowna’s BMO Marathon was a success again this year. A total of 2,155 runners and about 150 walkers took part in the events.
The half marathon was the most popular race with 1,028 entrants, the 10K had 708 and the marathon 419.
Kelowna’s Claire Young (40-49) was the first female overall in the excellent time of 3:06:12. Diane Leonard was the only other age class winner from Kelowna, winning the 70-plus class in 4:03:45. West Kelowna’s Fred Lambright took 2nd in men’s 70-plus in 4:28:01.
In the half marathon, Kelowna’s Linda Abbott-Simons and Summerland’s John Morgan won their respective 60-69 age classes.
The 10K saw several local runners win their age classes. These included Brock Hoel, who was first overall, Zach Jackman, Erica Casey, first overall female, Bill Justus, Keely Watts-Waiting, Will McKenzie, Jaque Morrow, Cam McCulloch and Liz Borrett, one of the best 77-yearold runners in the world.
At the Victoria Marathon, Kelowna’s queen of running, Cindy Rhodes dominated the 60-64 division, winning by over 15 minutes in 3:26 and finishing as 23rd woman overall. Two other Kelowna runners were on the podium — Richard Plunkett took second in men’s 50-54 in 2:58 and Myung Randall was 3rd in women’s 55-59 in 3:39.
The second event in the Starting Block cross country running series, the Summerland Sweets Cross Country run, took place Oct. 1. Kelowna’s Evan Vadnai was second overall, and Kelowna’s Veronika Fagan 1st overall woman.