Markham
August 21, 2008 10:23 PM
By: Mike Hayakawa
Lois Clarridge is 84.
But despite her age, the Markham resident and great grandmother can still swim a few lengths of the pool.
And she can keep up with some of those who are 10 years younger.
At the recent Ontario Actifest, a provincial athletic competition for seniors staged in London, Clarridge swam her way to a bronze medal in the 25-metre freestyle for those 75 years and older.
For Clarridge, who was the eldest competitor in her class, the medal was her 12th in the provincial games, held every other year.
“I was very pleased,” she said of her feat. “It was a wonderful meet to be able to go to.”
Making Clarridge’s results even more rewarding was she overcame an untimely injury this past winter after taking a spill while skating.
This cut into her practice time in the pool as she trains on her own.
“I try to get in the water as much as possible, but because of the accident, I couldn’t get into the water as much as I would have liked,” she said.
Having won the gold medal in the last regional Actifest and with few competitors who tried to qualify at the regional competition, Clarridge received an invitation to compete at the provincial event.
Comparing her latest feat to those she earned in the past, Clarridge is proud of what she did.
“Age-wise, this (winning the bronze medal) was special because you don’t get any younger, you know,” she said.
On that note, Clarridge hopes she is still able to compete in the next Ontrio Actifest in two years.
“I’d like to continue to compete as long as I feel good and able,” she said.