80s Ladies

No, not women in the 1980s era of President Ronald Reagan, the Mt. St. Helens eruption, and the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Rather, two women today who are 80s -- and whose dedication to the links makes them great examples of Age-defying Athletes.

Certainly, Karleen and Olive (not their real names) did groovy things during that decade of the addictive “Who Shot J.R.?” mystery, the initial “Die Hard” movie, and the Commodore 64 personal computer.

But it’s the groovy things they do now that are of greater interest.

Karleen is 82, and Olive is 80. They have several things in common.

For one thing, they golf regularly, typically nine holes, sometimes 18. Karleen hits the course three times a week, while Olive is more likely to participate twice weekly – but occasionally she is talked into three rounds.

Both keep at it because they are keen for the game.

Karleen describes the golf experience as “Wonderful.” Golf has brought out her nurturing skills: “I have found that I really enjoy meeting and greeting new girls so they don’t have [the experience I had] when first playing.” (Read more about this, below.)

She adds that it “keeps my mind active.”

Olive echoes much of this: “I have enjoyed every minute, friends from different areas. Used to play six times a week, played on Interclub [traveling league], and the Kathy Whitworth [Memorial golf tournament] since it started.”

Importantly, they share another commonality with 41% of the people interviewed for The Elixir of Sport: they participated in no athletics while growing up.

“Ran around with neighborhood kids and played un-organized softball,” reports Karleen. “Had a tether ball in backyard. In high school, running and became majorette.”

Olive, as well, was a majorette. She did no sports “except for playing with neighborhood kids. Grew up on a farm, but we eventually moved to town and then I had other activities.”

These activities being cheer leading, serving as majorette, and drumming in a band.

How they began

Although they share these similarities, Karleen and Olive arrived at the game of golf quite differently.

Olive was induced to pick up clubs by her future Mother-in-Law. “My Mother-in-Law insisted I play with her both before and after we were married. And I enjoyed it. Played on nine-hole course nearby and sometimes we would go around twice. Played with some of her friends sometime.”

And she began this journey with her future family when she was about 18. (She and her husband-to-be had gone to the same high school.)

Karleen had a very different introduction to golf.

“I had played tennis, but knees gave out on me,” the 82-year-old explains. “Played golf occasionally with husband. When I retired, [eventually] joined LGA [Ladies Golf Association] nine holers.”

Karleen continues with her story: “Before joining, I came out to play with a Saturday group and had a horrible experience.”

She states that in the foursome was a “blind lady who counted everyone’s strokes.” At one point, the blind scorekeeper asked Karleen what she had hit on one hole. “I said I had lost count, and she said she heard all my strokes, and that I had hit 15 times.”

“I felt completely humiliated. I stayed away for two years. Eventually, ran into a friend and we discussed golf and I said, ‘I’ll do it if you do it.’”

That was eight years ago, and Karleen has never looked back.

Benefits

She lists several advantages to the game: “Keeps body flexible, mind active. Encouraged me to become more physical. Plus, puts a bit of competitive edge to my personality that I didn’t have before.”

Olive has also benefitted – primarily from the camaraderie developed on the course. “Lots of great friends. It’s just given me something to do…be outside.”

Like other golfers, she also discovered that she could play a game, especially noteworthy given she grew up with no athletic background. “Don’t want to brag, but I did good there for awhile.”

Perhaps in contradistinction to her original golf effort, Karleen’s self-discovery was that “I am more forgiving of myself, more outgoing. Brought my personality out.”

Both 80s ladies play with their husbands. For awhile, Karleen’s husband was frustrated by his golf. “He cannot accept loss of muscle mass,” she explains, “and is no longer a handicap 7 or 9.”

She advised him that “If you would love the game as much as you used to, you would enjoy it more. He agreed and said he had just been beating himself up.”

Couples dynamics were a bit different for Olive and her husband. “We have two golf carts. Solves the argument of who gets to take it on a day when we both have tee times.”

Injuries are a fact of life

On occasion, physical challenges have kept both ladies away from the course.

Olive explains: “Injury. Broken arm, fell down in kitchen about seven years ago. Out for six or seven months. Surgery with pins and bracket. Right arm and I am right handed.”

A fall felled Karleen for awhile, too. “I had injury – fell and cracked a rib” which necessitated two weeks off and “completely changed my swing. [Pro] said to follow my nose in swinging.”

“Another time,” she continued, “chipped elbow bone and learned to swing again.” But this time, she continued to play, with no game hiatus.

Her conclusion? “Find a way to do it if you enjoy it.”

Injury isn’t the only thing that drives players to “find a way to do it…” Bad rounds tempt golfers to throw in the towel (literally and figuratively).

“Sure [there are low points] when nothing works. Hit into sand trap on first hole and every hole after that,” groans Karleen. “I average 1-2 low points a month.”

Olive admits that “One day [golf] is good, next day, not good.” She insists that she “has to remember that”.

Sport Longevity

When presented with the proposition that more and more people play sports into their 90s, these two Age-defying Athletes anticipate golf longevity differently.

Olive expects to “…continue to play twice a week and I plan to play as long as I can.”

Karleen has a different attitude about golfing into the future: “I am limiting myself to three [more] years. I’ll know it’s time to quit when it gets to the point of other players saying, “’I don’t want to be with Karleen’.”

But she also admits, “I just want to be able to continue to play at my current level, until age 85.” Maybe another year after that? “Maybe…”

WIIFY?

What’s your perspective on sport longevity?

Karleen and Olive represent the two major schools on the subject. The former captures the “defined stop” school, while Olive reflects the “see what happens” group.

There is no right or wrong answer here. Each athlete makes up his or her mind, and may, in fact, cycle through both positions as the years roll past.

Most people would prefer the Olive approach, because, frankly, most do not care to dwell on being really, really old and the conclusion to that chapter of life.

On the other hand, most men and women plan for lifespan, through retirement packages, bequests to friends and family, housing choices, and more.

If people plan on X years of a retirement portfolio, why not plan on Y years of playing sports?

The point of projecting sports into many tomorrows is that it enables focus on tactics to support extended athleticism - whatever that looks like.

What sorts of tactics?

· Lighter equipment

· Shorter sessions (for example, two of three games per tennis set)

· Less intense athletics (for example, swimming the width rather than the length of a pool)

Sport longevity is worth a think!