At Age 75, I’m Still Winning Trophies

By Margaret Olawoye

As a multi-sport athlete and former marathoner, I’m confident in saying that I was never and will never be a “watch and see” kind of girl. People ask all the time how, at 75 years old, I’m still as active as ever. For me, it’s easy. I cherish the little kid in me that has kept my passion for sports – and staying healthy – going throughout my life. My new mission is to inspire my fellow seniors to get to a place where they can feel healthy and confident enough to stay active.

When I Started

My athletic journey started later in life. In my mid-30s, I instantly fell in love with racquetball, 16-inch slow-pitch softball and tennis after watching people play at my local park district in Chicago. However, when I wanted to learn racquetball, no one wanted to compete against an inexperienced player. This fueled me to practice five hours a day until I was regularly beating my competitors. For years, racquetball and softball – both of which I played competitively – were the physical activities I needed for a healthy lifestyle, and my spirits were always high.

Racquetball helped me relieve stress from work and gave me boundless energy and endurance – so much so that I trained and completed four marathons and two half marathons during that time.

I then became an administrator for Chicago Public Schools, which was very demanding on my schedule and didn’t allow me to play as much racquetball as I wanted. I gained weight, which added to the existing stress in both my personal and professional life. I developed unhealthy eating habits and high blood pressure. I was slowly losing grasp of my spirit and motivation, developing a sedentary lifestyle and training inconsistently.

Finding Your Own Path

Realizing that life wouldn’t adjust to me and that wellness is a lifelong journey, I knew I needed to find a way to get moving again.

I started walking the stairs in my building for exercise and realized this practice, along with drinking a lot of water, relieved my knee pain. With regular physical activity, I was able to relieve stress, control my weight, and improve my mental health and sleep. I got back to enjoying racquetball and softball; I was even inducted into the Chicago 16” Softball Hall of Fame. And I was motivated to pick up new sports and activities, including pickleball, track and field and tai chi.

I’ve learned that the path to a healthy lifestyle is not easy. It takes a lot of self-discovery, determination and guts to prove your doubters, and yourself, wrong. I have been inspired by my fellow competitors at the National Senior Games presented by Humana; through those competitions, I’ve formed lifelong friendships and strengthened my love for sports and staying healthy, giving me the discipline to want to compete and train for the rest of my life.

Tips for Beginners

Prior to competing at the 2017 National Senior Games presented by Humana in Alabama in June, I was honored as a Humana Game Changer for exemplifying healthy aging and providing encouragement, motivation and inspiration for all seniors to start with healthy.

As a result, I am eager to help fellow seniors interested in getting involved in athletics, or just staying in shape. Here are some tips that worked for me that other seniors might also find helpful:

         Staying hydrated and adhering to a predominantly plant-based diet are paramount to getting fit for any sport.

         For an older individual, a coach or mentor is pivotal in learning proper techniques for specific sports in a way that prevents injury.

         No athlete is an island; find teammates or cheerleaders who believe in you and can provide you with support and constructive advice.

         Use YouTube videos for sport tutorials or special techniques.

         Find a routine that works for your body. I used to be an Energizer bunny, constantly going, but eventually needed to adjust to my body.

         Ease yourself into athletics with simple exercises, such as 10-minute walks (five in each direction).

         Don’t forget to keep it fun!

Margaret Olawoye has never been a “watch and see” kind of woman. After discovering racquetball, she found that no one wanted to face an inexperienced player, which drove her to practice five hours a day until she was able to regularly defeat her doubters. Nothing can get in the way of her passion for fierce competition and love for anything sports-related – not even her bad knees or the broken wrist she got playing softball in the 2013 National Senior Games; she was back on the field the day after her cast was removed! The multi-sport athlete says she’s “like a little kid with sports,” and competed in track & field and pickleball during her fifth National Senior Games in 2017, when she was recognized as a Humana Game Changer.