ABERDEEN NEWS - Local resident, Jane Saayman (71), represented the Eastern Cape in the National Golden Games, hosted by Gauteng Province in Ekurhuleni from 6 to 7 December.
Saayman competed in the 200m race and the 100m relay.
The Golden Games is part of the National Active Ageing Programme (NAAP) - a week long programme aimed at persons of 60 plus and run by the department of social development in partnership with the departments of health, sport and recreation and the South African Older Persons Forum. This year's theme for the programme is "Contribution and Resilience of Older Persons in a Changing World" and attended by 1 500 older persons. The week opened on 5 December with the National Older Persons Dialogue and culminated in the National Golden Games.
The National Golden Games entails various sporting activities, such as soccer, athletics, duck walk, brisk walk and more.
In 2014, at age 63, Saayman decided to step up her daily workout and started running as part of her routine. She qualified for the 60-69 age group in the 200m race and between 2014 and 2020 she competed on provincial and national level. In 2019 she qualified again for the National Golden Games, but the 2020 games was cancelled due to the pandemic.
Although Saayman qualified in the younger age group, she is now competing in the age group 70-79. At the time of going to press, the Advertiser was still awaiting her times, but she told the paper before the event that she has neither any idea of her best time nor does she focus on beating any of her previous times.
"At this point in my life I just run to complete the race to my best ability. If I do it in good time it is a bonus and I don't care about placement - everyone that completes the race is a winner in my books," she said laughingly.
Asked about lifestyle advice for older persons she said: "Eat healthy and exercise - forget about smoking and drinking. Look after your health, it is all you have and you have only one. There is no spare one in the freezer. When you don't exercise, keep yourself busy with the things of the Lord."
For the youth she also had a message: "Listen to your parents and other grownups and obey and respect them. What they teach you today is not meant for today as much as for tomorrow when they are gone and you lose direction. They are shaping you for the future. And make more trips to church and fewer to the bar!"
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