Tough event holds no fears for old farts

Mount Maunganui pensioner Sid Salek, 81, will be the oldest person competing in tomorrow's Port of Tauranga Half Ironman. File photo

For two old farts, Sid Salek and Graham Stewart sure know how to keep young.

With a combined age of 155 the two Mount Maunganui pensioners will be the oldest competitors in the Port of Tauranga Half Ironman tomorrow - and it isn't for the faint-hearted.

The event consists of a 90km bike ride, 21km run and 2km swim at Mount Maunganui.
But at 81, Mr Salek shudders at the very suggestion of staying home for a nice cup of tea instead.

He is one of the founding members of the Old Farts team and is well known in surf lifesaving circles for his immense lust for life.

"I have a theory about life,'' Mr Salek said. "Life is like a bucket. The material that the bucket is made out of is like your genetics but if you put good drips in to the bucket it takes a long while but the bucket gets filled to the top.

"If you put in things like alcohol and cigarettes it starts to rust the bucket and you never get it full, no matter what.

"That's what it's all about, filling the bucket with good things. If you look after it, you get a pretty full bucket.''

Mr Salek has lived by that metaphor for years, which has no doubt contributed to his extreme fitness for his age. Mr Salek brushed off a recent swim from Motiti Island to the mainland as "only 10km''.

Tomorrow Mr Salek will complete the swim leg while Mr Stewart does the running.

Mr Salek's daughter Anna will fill the cycling spot of original Old Fart Don Robinson, 78, who has been unable to train this year.

At 74, Mr Stewart is a few years younger but shares Mr Salek's enthusiasm for "getting out there and enjoying life''.

"You get a lot of satisfaction having completed it. You tend to want it to be over when you are three-quarters of the way through but there's nothing better than finishing a run, having a shower and putting on some clean clothes afterwards. It's the best feeling.''

Mr Salek said the Old Farts have had incredible support from the local sporting community, some of whom arranged free registration for the team because of their efforts.

"They think we are special. We don't. We just enjoy it. It's all the textbook stuff they say about endorphins.

"I wake up in the morning and I feel 90 but the moment when I do a few laps of the pool I feel 50.''