At 93, Napier’s Victor Smith will be the oldest athlete to lace up his shoes at Saturday’s Hawke’s Bay Marathon, tackling the 10km walk.
Smith is not the only octa or nonagenarian in the region still pursuing an impressive fitness fix. Mitchell Hageman speaks to inspiring people who are still taking time to stay active and finds out why age really is just a number.
Barring bad weather, heavy wind, or it being a Wednesday, chances are you’ll see 93-year-old Victor Smith out and about for one of his lengthy walks around Napier’s Taradale.
Be it his 25th time doing the 5km Anderson Park circuit on a Saturday or simply a 6km circuit of his own, Smith has had plenty of practice before undertaking his seventh 10km walk in next week’s Hawke’s Bay Marathon.
“I started off with five [medals], one each for all my children. I then did another one, and my daughter-in-law claimed that was the last one, so I’m not really sure what I will do with this one,” he joked.
A photo of Smith and his late wife previously acted as a mantlepiece for his medals. Now, they still sit proudly on the wall on a special bracket.
“Once my wife died, I sort of got into walking more and have just kept going. I started doing a bit more than what I did previously.”
Smith had been active for most of his life, holding labour-intensive jobs as well as being a member of the old Harriers athletic club.
Seeing his passion for walking become more noticeable, proud daughter Gail suggested he try the 10km as it would give him something to work towards.
“I twisted his arm to do the first one, and he absolutely loved it when he crossed the finish line,” she said.
Smith said he enjoyed the rush of being in the race but also credited the exercise for helping him keep fit.
“I guess there is the competitive part, but I’m there for the fun of it really. I like to keep fit because if I knock off, I’d probably deteriorate.”
Understandably, his family is “very proud” of him and will be there to cheer him on at the finish line.
He always hopes to beat his previous time, with his most recent walk in last year’s marathon clocking in at 1 hour and 53 minutes.
“People say to me, ‘why don’t you do it with him?’ I say ‘I’d slow him down’; that’s the honest truth!,” Gail said.
A Flex Fitness Hastings regular, 86-year-old Patrick O’Neil “can’t speak highly” enough of the gym environment he goes to weekly.
He’s been active all his life, but his decision to go to the gym weekly stems from his passion for lawn bowls and general healthy living.
“I’m not there to do muscle; I’m there to keep fit and keep alive,” he told Hawke’s Bay Today.
“With bowls, you have to be reasonably fit, so that’s why I keep going to the gym.”
Rugby and biking were also a big part of O’Neil’s life until a medical procedure prompted a change in pace.
“I retired when I was 67. I had a heart operation in 1996, and after I had that, I did a bit of biking, but biking got a bit dangerous,” he said.
“I spend about 20 minutes on the bike and 40 to 45 minutes on weight exercises, but they are sensible weights.”
He said membership cost him about $10 a week, a reasonable sum to spend time at a useful and helpful facility.
“There are people who spend more than that on coffee a day.”
Besides the fitness elements, O’Neil said he also enjoyed the gym’s atmosphere.
“It’s really good, mixed people of all ages go. There’s no loud music, and the people that go there are really great.”
And is there an end date on O’Neil’s membership? Not in his mind.
“I’ll keep going to the gym until I can’t.”
With a combined 183 years between them and still regularly attending Sport Hawke’s Bay Active 4 Life classes weekly in Napier, Bev and Ron Brown are another shining example of how dedication and commitment can lead to great personal benefits.
“I’ve been going about 32 years, and I think I can still touch my toes,” Bev, 90, said.
“I started in 1992 when I was 58, and I’ve been going ever since. Back then, we spent $54 a week on fitness; now we spend $20.”
The weekly classes, which are done with music, contain elements to build cardiovascular fitness and flexibility, resistance exercises for strength, and movements to improve balance, cognitive function, and overall wellbeing.
“We were going three times a week, but I can’t use the stretchy bands anymore, so we go twice a week now,” Bev said.
But classes aren’t just about keeping fit; they are also about connection, socialisation and empowering people to be physically active.
“For a lot of people, it’s a means for getting out of bed.”
Bev and Ron said they enjoy the comradery and social benefits of the classes and know all the regulars.
“There would be a lot of people who have been coming for 20 years at least, I’d say,” Bev said.
“Most people say they know about it by word of mouth.”
A knee replacement stopped Ron, 93, from strenuous bending, but he still likes to use the small weights and keeps up with the activities.
“Bev bullied me into it,” Ron joked about his involvement. “But it was the badminton that drew me in.”
He now takes a centre position in the middle of the classes, showcasing his skills to the rest of the attendees.
But what’s really kept the pair going to class after all these years?
“It’s in your system; you just do it,” Bev said.
“It becomes part of your life.”
Sport Hawke’s Bay helps offer various activities for people over 50 under its Active 4 Life banner, such as Kiwi Seniors, Sit and Be Fit, and Tai Chi.
The organisation says much of what is learned in the classes can help defy the ageing process by promoting physiological and psychological improvements.
“If the people already attending our programmes is anything to go on, it is definitely never too late to get active,” a spokesperson said.
“It is just about being able to adjust your health and fitness goals and being realistic about what you can do while being in a friendly supportive environment with like-minded people, or if exercising independently, keeping yourself safe and enjoying what you do.”
Thousands of people will descend on Hawke’s Bay this weekend to participate in the 2024 ASICS Runaway Hawke’s Bay Marathon, tackling either the full marathon, the La Roche Posay Half Marathon, 10km or Kennedy Park Resort Kids Run.
On Saturday, the ASICS Marathon will start at 7.45am at Anderson Park in Napier, and the 10km run will simultaneously start at Evers-Swindell Reserve in Hastings.
The 10km walk will also start at Evers-Swindell Reserve at 8am, at which time the La Roche Posay Half Marathon run will start at 350-390 Marine Parade, Napier.
At 8.20am, the La Roche Posay Half Marathon walk will start at 350-390 Marine Parade.
The Kennedy Park Resort Kids Run starts at 1pm at Elephant Hill Estate & Winery, which also hosts prize collection for the 10km and half marathon at 12.30pm.
Prize collection for the Kids Run and full marathon will be at 2.30pm.
Course and start times are subject to change.
A free shuttle service will take competitors back to the Hawke’s Bay Showgrounds and Napier iSite from the finish line at Elephant Hill. This post-race service does not need to be pre-booked.
People can also use the Runaway Marathon Series mobile app to see key information on all that is happening at the ASICS Runaway Hawke’s Bay Marathon, including maps and an athlete tracker so supporters can follow their friends.
More information can be found at Run Away - ASICS Runaway Hawke’s Bay Marathon (hawkesbaymarathon.co.nz).
Mitchell Hageman joined Hawke’s Bay Today in January 2023. From his Napier base, he writes regularly on social issues, arts and culture, and the community. He has a particular love for stories about ordinary people doing extraordinary things.
One group said it was an 'international embarrassment'.