Judith Wedderburn champions healthy ageing

Among the hundreds who turned out for Sunday’s Senior 3K Purple Run/Walk, which started at The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona campus, was Women’s Media Watch board member Judith Wedderburn. She saw her participation as a way to champion healthy ageing and self-care.

“I participated in this walk because I wanted to support the idea that ageing is not a curse. You age and you mature, but you have to take care of your body. Nobody else can do it for you,” she told Lifestyle.

Wedderburn finished her walk in 32:24, placing 80th out of 228 walkers and 50th out of 178 women, exceeding her walk goal.

Speaking with The Gleaner after she crossed the finish line, Wedderburn said she had a great morning, noting that while she can’t run anymore, she embraces every chance to walk. “I can’t run anymore because I hurt my back,” she said. “However, I walk regularly, so every occasion that I get to walk in a race, I’ll take it. When you’re in a race, it pushes you.”

Entering this 3K for the first time, her strategy was simple: walk stronger and take longer steps. “I do power-walks. And I walk in the rhythm of my breathing so that at the end of the race, my lungs are properly energised and I’m not out of breath,” she reflected.

Calling attention to some of the challenges that seniors face, she was pleased to see members of her community come out to participate. “In our country, senior citizens are oftentimes forgotten. They don’t have adequate access to healthcare. Their families forget them, or they cannot afford to give them healthcare. And some of the government agencies really could do better because many senior citizens don’t work,” she said.

When she sees a walk of this nature involving senior citizens, she is grateful because it encourages her peers to keep trying, “Life can be a little less stressful if you walk once you begin to age,” she said.

If other seniors are contemplating whether or not they should participate in a race of this magnitude, Wedderburn highly recommends doing so. “Sign up for the race because it pushes you, and you’ll get to see that there are other people like you racing too. If you don’t walk fast, it’s okay,” Wedderburn shared.

The experienced walker advises seniors to get active, pointing to the benefits. “If you don’t keep your lungs energised, they will get weak. With walking, you’re activating a certain part of your brain. So if you don’t use that part, you will lose that too,” she said.

With decades of running under his belt, 63-year-old Oral Anderson of The Gleaner Company (Media) Limited, took on Sunday’s run with his usual competitive spirit. He topped the male 3K run category in the 60 to 64 age group with a time of 12:23.

“The run this morning was excellent. I can’t complain,” Anderson told The Gleaner, sharing that he has been a runner since 1975. Some people, he said, engage in the activity for a healthy lifestyle. But he is all about the competition and the health benefits. “I train around Heroes Circle [during the week],” he shared.

Another veteran runner, Winston Harris, topped the male 3K run category in the 70 to 74 age group with a time of 13:45. Running since 1974, Harris explained that as a farmer, it’s important to live a healthy lifestyle.

Noting that he took a break from running to focus on other areas of his life, he was pleasantly surprised by his run. “From 2013 to 2014, I came out of the race and stayed with my family for a while. So this was my second race in recent times. And I’m feeling pretty good,” he said. “I don’t have to train for running anymore. I just get up and run. And my body responded well to the race. I give thanks for the strength and the power.”

At 72 years old, Harris believes that it is vital for everyone, not just seniors, to maintain healthy habits.

“It’s not just seniors. The youngsters don’t understand that it is up to them to take care of themselves. I’ve seen many young persons come and go through carelessness. You are the first doctor for your body, so study it and know how to care for it,” he added.

The Senior 3K Purple Run/Walk is part of Senior Citizens’ Month, which runs from September 1 to October 1.

krysta.anderson@gleanerjm.com