Gym veterans show off their gains, Nev Morrissey, left, Alan McCaughan, Jenna McCready and Ross Watson.
Gym veterans show off their gains, Nev Morrissey, left, Alan McCaughan, Jenna McCready and Ross Watson.
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Friendship and a shared connection to farm life have formed the foundation of an active lifestyle for a trio of seasoned gym-goers at a Katikati fitness centre.
Katifit is a second home to Nev Morrissey, Alan McCaughan and Ross Watson – all aged 88 – who are regular visitors to the long-established gym on Sheffield St.
Seniors make up many of their gym-goers, said Katifit owner Jenna McCready.
“Around 50 of our members are over the age of 70. Then there’s the teenagers who make up the next large number - very different demographics.”
Morrissey is the elder of the clan, having celebrated his birthday first, in January.
He’s been a regular at Katifit for eight years and works out at least three times a week. His daughter bought him a membership. Biking and rowing machines are his go-to machines.
“If I don’t keep moving, I’ll stop altogether,” he said. “There’s a few of us who come here at the same time, it’s a social thing.”
Morrissey’s background is in dairy farming and share milking. He’s always enjoyed an active lifestyle, including years of basketball playing in various grades.
Morrissey pestered his mate Watson to join the gym as well.
Watson has diabetes and says regular cardio three times a week has helped to make a real difference to his test results.
He has been in the area since 1965, farming beef and sheep. He joined the gym about six years ago after some elbowing from Morrissey. Watson turned 88 over Easter.
Veteran number three is Alan McCaughan. He’s just a few weeks younger than Morrissey.
He joined the gym soon after moving to Katikati nine years ago and goes three to five times per week.
Nev Morrissey, left, Alan McCaughan and Ross Watson.
McCaughan has a competitive streak, “so anything I do, I want to do it right”.
“I’d never walked through the doors of a gym before. I thought I was starting to lose my upper body strength, so I asked them if they thought it would do me any good ... and I joined.”
Life on the farm was also McCaughan’s prelude to an active senior life.
He and his late wife, Joy, worked on several different sheep and cattle farms before owning a 700-acre (283ha) Mangakino farm.
In his past, he’s been involved in dog trials and equestrian endurance riding, winning gold in an endurance riding championship in Dubai.
