John Tatum, left, and his brother Bradford swim their way to gold in Age of Champions.Even among their peers who have taken to heart the myriad benefits of physical activity as they age, a group of pugnacious older adults profiled in the documentary Age of Champions are raising the bar to once unthinkable levels. Facing 10,000 fellow competitors, these remarkable athletes volley, dribble, swim, and pole vault their way to gold medals at the annual Senior Games.
As readers of the Health AGEnda blog know, the John A. Hartford Foundation has long championed patient choice and active community engagement to promote the person-centered care we support. The documentary touches on issues of patient choice about which Amy Berman has written an inspiring series of posts dealing with her own experience navigating serious illness.
http://youtu.be/5UkToxKQ5p0
In Age of Champions, we meet the Tatum brothers, ages 88 and 90. They have been swimming since the pools in Washington, D.C. were segregated and they were forced to do laps in the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool. When the younger of the Tatum brothers, Bradford, is diagnosed with colorectal cancer that requires surgery, he tells his doctors that he will get the surgery, but not before he competes in the year’s Senior Games. He proceeds to train despite undergoing thrice-weekly chemotherapy infusions, and not only competes but wins the gold along with his brother, John.
His love for track and field and the support of his family helped Earl Blasingname begin to heal after the death of his wife.We also know that community engagement and an active lifestyle such as that promoted by nurse and Fagin Fellow Adriana Perez in Phoenix, Ariz., promotes physical and mental health. When the viewers first meet Earl Blasingname, 88, it’s been only four months since his wife’s death. His passion for the track and field events javelin, discus, and shot put, along with his family, let him regain some time for joy in his life. Through a friendly competition with his rival Adolph Hoffman, 86, Earl remains engaged with the active older adult community and dedicated to the sports he loves. Though he continues to fall just behind Adolph in the competition, he is determined to train harder for next year’s games.
This inspiring film confirms what we here at the Hartford Foundation have known all along: that aging is by no means an easy process, but with dignity and perseverance it can be a rewarding stage of life. You can order a copy of Age of Champions and learn how to organize a viewing of the film in your community at the website ageofchampions.org.
Check out the Senior Games, as well, for more inspiring stories and tips on staying active as you age. The Games are going on now through Aug. 1 in Cleveland, and the Hartford Foundation will be rooting for all of the older adults who choose to compete.