December 26, 2014 at 1:11 p.m.
Mock Senior Olympics held at the Pines Community Wellness Center
Mock Senior Olympics held at the Pines Community Wellness Center
The mock "Senior Olympics Day" was organized by retired principal and former physical education teacher, Dr. Lou Whitaker.
"I have been a member of the Wellness Center for about a year now and have met so many wonderful people. With a background in physical education, I understand the importance of maintaining good health and staying active, especially as we age," said Dr. Whitaker. "The senior exercise class meets twice a week and not only am I impressed how our instructors adjust the workouts to meet our individual needs, I love the camaraderie I, my classmates, and instructors have developed. With (our instructors') sense of humor and leadership, our exercise time passes quickly. But more important is the constant reminder of the importance of keeping our bodies and minds healthy and active."
Dr. Whitaker went on to explain that the Senior Olympic Day had a four-fold purpose: to provide a social activity to celebrate the holidays with classmates, meet new friends who are members of the Wellness Center, show what the seniors have learned regarding the various muscle groups needed for each activity, (thanks to the knowledge obtained from instructors), provide donations for the local food pantry and have fun.
Seniors competed in such activities as scooter races, balloon pop tag, basketball shoot, Ping-Pong ball on a badminton racket relay and a team hula hoop competition. Because it was called "Senior Olympics," Dr. Whitaker made sure there were ribbons for all. Gold for first place, silver for second, bronze for third, and rust for fourth place.
"Just like the old pep rallies they used to participate in when they were in school, there was plenty of fast-paced music to get their bodies moving," the center said in a press release. "Everyone had fun and it was exciting to see how physically fit this group of active seniors really is."
"For fun," Whitaker said, "I'd like to see just how many high school curriculum standards this activity would meet, so I looked up the Wisconsin State Standards for Physical Education and was surprised to see we met over 30 objectives!" The following are just a few of them:
5:4:A2 Adjusts participation level and personal behavior to make activities inclusive for everyone.
5:4:A3 Works with peers willingly, regardless of skill level and individual differences in partner and small group situations.
6:4:A3 Displays a willingness to experiment with new activities and sports of our and other cultures.
6:4:A4 Demonstrates strategies for including people of diverse backgrounds and abilities in physical activity.
6:4:B4 Participates as a volunteer in promoting physical activity within the school setting and also in the community.
The last activity of the day included putting together a giant puzzle that was actually a Christmas card thanking the instructors for all they have done for the classes and the Wellness Center. It also wished everyone a happy and healthy new year.
The day concluded with a party where everyone could enjoy one another's company and some homemade Christmas treats.
"A special thank you to everyone who brought in donations for our local food pantry," Dr. Whitaker said. "Your generosity was greatly appreciated! What a wonderful way to celebrate the season."
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