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A group of 16 people, aged 70–92, will be among those lining up for the 5km run/walk at the Orewa Beach Half Marathon on February 11.
All are regulars at the Stanmore Bay Leisure Centre’s Never2Old programme, where instructor Aviv Jones puts them through their paces.
Aviv is the reason that the group is doing the event, while raising money for Give it Up, with funds going to the Cancer Society Auckland.
Last year Aviv gave up drinking alcohol for a month and raised money from sponsors to keep her on track. She donated this to the Cancer Society, which was inspired by her effort and early last month launched Give it Up as a way for people to raise money at any time of year. The idea is that you give up something that will be a challenge to live without, for a set period (such as smoking or clothes shopping) and either donate the money saved, or obtain sponsorship.
Aviv says her Never2Old group is “giving up being old and frail”!
The 5km run/walk will be more challenging for some, than others. Joan Adams had both hips replaced in 1990 and says regular exercise is important for muscle tone that aids mobility. Eighty-two-year old Niall Cotton says he will have to build up from his regular half hour walks to be able to complete the 5km in around an hour and for Ross Cowan, who had a stroke three years ago and lost a lot of sensation on his left side, the activity is a vital part of recovery.
“It took me a long time just to learn to walk again,” he says. “But I’m going to try and do this event as a walk/run.”
Info: www.giveitup.org.nz
