Gogo Olympics fosters hope and good health for elderly

IT IS every sports enthusiast’s fantasy to participate in the Olympic Games, but very few are fit and fortunate enough to take part in one of the world’s most prestigious sports competitions.

For those in their sixties and above who are still keen to sweat it out, there are the Gogo Olympics.

The games for the elderly were held at Molweni, near Hillcrest, where there was an unsurpassed atmosphere of excitement among the competing grandmothers at the games’ 7th annual event.

The games were established by the Hillcrest Aids Centre to give local gogos some relief and allow the senior citizens to meet and do handwork and socialise.

But the Gogo Olympics now attracts entrants from outside of the Upper Highway and surrounding areas, like Kwamashu, Inchanga and Hammarsdale. This year the games saw 800 eager grannies square up in indigenous games, athletics, soccer and netball, among other sports.

Founder Cwengekile Myeni said most gogos were living with stress from their households as they were raising grandchildren because their children died young, or were unemployed.

“We are encouraging more gogos to be active; the Hillcrest Aids Centre helps them to form social groups. The initiative has transformed their lives immensely.

“They run community gardens, handicrafts, sewing and sport. It has also boosted their self-esteem, they need hope and to socialise as most of them have a lot of responsibilities and they come from underprivileged communities,” said Myeni.

The oldest participant was Mathida Shozi of Kwanyuswa, who was once admitted to hospital for stress after losing eight of her 10 children. Shozi has attended all seven editions of the Gogo Olympics and said she felt excited and healthy to participate in netball.

“The games have changed my life,” she said. “They have helped so much. I used to be sick, but since I became part of the games I am feeling much better.”

International gogos Marrie Van Waldervech and Aad van der Meer travelled from the Netherlands to take part in the Gogo Olympics. They came across Hillcrest Aids Centre in 2010 during their tour of South Africa.

“Other countries can actually learn a lot from this initiative; in our country old people live in old age homes, they only walk around, but this is exceptional,” said Van der Meer.