- Title: Los Angeles' elderly face off in mock Olympics
- Date: 26th July 2024
- Summary: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (JULY 24, 2024) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF SENIORS TAKING PART IN MOCK OLYMPICS AT RETIREMENT COMMUNITY IN LOS ANGELES' HOLLYWOOD NEIGHBORHOOD, WITH RESIDENT COMPETING IN RELAY RACE AND CORNHOLE (SOUNDBITE) (English) ANTHONY AQUINO, 84-YEAR-OLD RESIDENT WHO WON A GOLD MEDAL IN THE "CORNHOLE" COMPETITION, SAYING: "I've never missed an Olympi
- Embargoed: 9th August 2024 10:50
- Keywords: Los Angeles Olympics Seniors elderly retirement
- Location: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
- City: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
- Country: US
- Topics: North America,Olympics,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA001189825072024RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Unable to travel to Paris, Olympics-obsessed seniors in Los Angeles brought the Olympic spirit to southern California this week by throwing their own mock Olympics and competing against other seniors from local retirement communities.
For the games, some 60 seniors gathered to watch athletes in their seventies, eighties and nineties, compete in a relay race and in basketball, cornhole and dancing competitions.
"I've never missed an Olympics yet, and I've been around a long time, so I'm proud to have been able to do that in the past, and I'm looking forward to doing it again in the future," said Anthony Aquino, an 84-year-old retirement community resident who won a gold medial in the cornhole competition.
"It's an excellent environment for us. I think what's important is that the program allows us to be ourselves, and many of us do come out of our shell, so to speak, and participate. And that's a plus. I'm feeling good about myself every day, so I always look forward to tomorrow," he added.
Neal Massy, a 77-year-old retirement community resident who won the basketball gold medal, described her win as "fabulous."
"It was super fun and I haven't really played basketball since I was in high school, so this was fabulous. A great time."
Asked about the Paris Olympics, Massy said: "I would go in a heartbeat if someone would buy me a ticket and get me over there."
"Yes, indeed," she added.
Staged at Belmont Village Senior Living Hollywood Hills, the mock Olympics have created a lot of excitement for residents.
"Our athletes have been so determined. We've had them practicing every day. We've added strength training. We've added coordination. We've added obviously the sports, we were doing the relay, the basketball, the golf. And they've been so excited," said Jessica Kochu, Belmont Village Senior Living Hollywood Hills' Memory Programs coordinator.
"So many people think of retirement, that it's over. There's nothing left. I'm past the best, at Belmont we don't believe that. We believe there's still purpose. There's still meaning, there's still importance, and there's still the ability to keep pushing, for that fulfillment and that meaning."
"We're hoping that somehow our Belmont Village seniors will get an invitation to the opening ceremonies in LA in 2028. That's that's a big part of it and what we're hoping for as we continue to push them and embrace the fact that you're never too old to go for the gold," she added.
Paris is making final preparations for the Olympics ahead of the Opening Ceremony on Friday (July 26) while the early sporting action has continued with archery, handball, rugby sevens and football teams all in action.
(Production: Allysyn Landrum, Jackie Luna, Omar Younis) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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