The oldest competitors on Canada's Ultimate Challenge have smart advice for staying fit as you age
‘If age did play a factor, it only helped to elevate their game.’
On Canada's Ultimate Challenge, players were faced with the daunting task of completing an obstacle course underneath B.C.'s Sky Pilot Suspension Bridge located one hundred metres above the valley floor.
Coaches picked who they thought would have the upper body strength to complete this difficult solo challenge. Younger players like Kenny Ho, 23, and Em Donkers, 27 faced off against older competitors Julie (Juls) Tower, 45, and Franz Wellington, 52.
Coach Donovan Bailey was confident as he selected Franz for the job, "I think that he's gonna surprise a lot of people as he evolves into a balanced athlete. I think at 52 he can do some serious things."
The high ropes course turned out to be much more difficult than it looked.
But Franz took the win, with Juls coming in second.
Lori Campbell, 50, and also one of the show's older competitors wasn't surprised, "Franz was the oldest man and he was on my team. He was so physically fit! I think the combination of decades of fitness training and the type of challenge was exactly in his wheelhouse. I don't think anyone could have completed that challenge as fast and smoothly as him."
"I must admit it was a pretty darn cool feeling knowing we could hold our own against younger athletes. I believe possibly our age may have given us a bit more drive to push to our limits as well," agrees Juls.
No age limit on being competitive
These older athletes are showing that there is no age limit on health and fitness.
Stephen (Stiva) Sininan, 47, also a competitor is a fitness instructor from Toronto, "Franz and Juls both moved so well during this challenge. You can see they methodically were thinking of their plan of action throughout the challenge. Their resilience gave them the confidence to know that should a misstep happen along the way, they could quickly reset, refocus and get the job done. So, if age did play a factor, it only helped to elevate their game."
Franz has been active his whole life, participating in sports, playing university football and following in the footsteps of his father who is also a top fitness expert. It's a lifelong commitment for him, even though his goals have changed over the decades. "As I age my fitness programs have changed to be more necessary for managing life's stresses, and have changed to be more preventative in nature. My body has changed and I have to incorporate more mobility, stretching, and meditation."
Juls only started to get serious about fitness in her late 30s after her parents and husband passed away. "When I realized obstacle racing and running can be crazy fun, I was hooked," she says, "being competitive at this age makes me feel younger every day."
Being active will help you age well, say competitors
For Lori, a two-spirit Indigenous woman with an office job, fitness is about aging well, "as we age, our bodies do become different and sometimes things just creep up on us and we lose an inch of range of motion here and there and we just let it compound. Next thing you know you can't lift your arm up above your head, but for no good reason other than you let things slide!"
"While bodies do change as they age and capabilities may shift with certain activities, living in discomfort and pain as we age is not inevitable. So if we can help it along by trying to move, groove, build strength and stay injury free, that will help lead to a better quality of life," agrees Stiva, a personal trainer who coaches many older athletes.
Most of us would love to chase after our grandkids, walk around the south of France and ride a bike in our golden years, says Lori, "and staying fit keeps all of these doors open. If someone calls me up and says let's go for a hike, I want to be able to say give me an hour to get packed, not give me a year to try to get fit enough!"
It's never too late to start being fit
Even if being a competitor on Canada's Ultimate Challenge isn't for you "get up and go for a hike that you have never done before. You can get on the subway and try that kettlebell class you never thought you couldn't do. All challenges big and small will get you places. Just get ready!" says Franz.
"Fitness is the best natural drug ever," says Juls who still feels like she's in her 20s most days, "put one foot forward and don't look back, nothing is ever too late to try."
