Seniors hold march, sports day
Senior citizens week marched on today–and I mean those words quite literally. Jacqueline Woods explains.
Jacqueline Woods, Reporting
The senior citizens, ninety-nine years old and younger, did not seem to be bothered by the warm weather and briskly hit the pavement of the city streets to commemorate their week.
Jacqueline Woods
“Did you enjoy the walk this morning?”
Lillian Dyer, 86 years old
“Yes man, I like those kinds of thing like that because you feel good. But some of them, you goh deh and they noh want to help you. When I gone, it’s a lady’s man that come to me and he seh, come mek wi goh dance and I gone and dance.”
Jacqueline Woods
“Weh you dance? I mi think you supposed to walk, you actually dance too along the way?”
Lillian Dyer
“Yes I dance, I like dance…”
The activity, dubbed The Global Embrace Walk, is held throughout the world to celebrate International Day for Older People. Today a feisty contingent of Belize’s senior citizens participated. According to one of the coordinators, Lorraine Thompson, it is important for people of all ages, especially older persons, to keep active because as people age, they become more susceptible to chronic diseases.
Lorraine Thompson, Coordinator, Global Embrace Walk
“Walking is recommended, and so the Global Embrace and the local walks that we are promoting are a symbol of this kind of activity that we are promoting. And it is a part of the World Health Organisation’s initiative for active ageing in which we encourage older people and other age groups in keep with the theme: a society for all ages to promote active aging.”
Whether they were assisted by a cane or the help of a friendly hand, our seniors demonstrated that you are never too old to go the distance.
Isolene Anthony, 76 years old
“I try to exercise, but I noh go walking nowhere, first time I walking.”
Jacqueline Woods
“So you don’t usually walk?”
Isolene Anthony
“No, I noh usually walk.”
Jacqueline Woods
“How was it? You didn’t get tired?”
Isolene Anthony
“No, noh tired, I feeling good.”
The walk took the women and men from Wilson Street, into Freetown Road, Barrack Road and then into the B.T.L. Park. It was here that we caught up with ninety-nine year old Viola Myles.
Jacqueline Woods
“This week is being celebrated as senior citizen’s week, tell us about some of the activities you’ve been involved with. Yesterday you went on a tour of Guanacaste Park, how was that?”
Viola Myles, 99 years old
“That was lovely, I love it. The trees so beautiful over our heads, and everything was nice. When we went and we saw the gravel, gravel, me noh like it, me noh wah (want) stay. Somebody seh, I ready fi go now, go back down right now. But after all, we had a lovely time.”
The participants were not only at the park to socialize and reminisce about the good old times, but believe it or not, following the walk, they still had some energy left to get even more physical.
The three legged race was just one of four games the group played.
Leotine Gillett, Organizer, Sports Day
“The second one is lime and spoon, and the third is tug of war, and the last one is the balloon sport. You know, when you blow your balloon and sit on it, who sit on it the longest is the winner.”
Jacqueline Woods
“So you think they could actually blow the balloons?”
Leotine Gillett
“Well I don’t know if they’re going to actually blow it, or if it will be blown for them, because we don’t want them to blow out their teeth now.” (laughs)
The activity was especially enjoyed by eighty-eight year old Jackie Gibson and sixty-eight year old Sadie Faber. Both ladies had no trouble passing their older and younger colleagues and winning the three legged race.
Jackie Gibson, 88 years old
“The first time that I did it I enjoyed it.”
Jacqueline Woods
Did you expect to beat your friends?”
Sadie Faber, 68 Years Old
“Well no, because you have younger than we, but we enjoy it.”
Jacqueline Woods
“Now when you two went to the starting line you think of how you’ll win this race or you just went with the programme?”
Jackie Gibson
“We just went with the programme.”
Sadie Faber
“We just went with the programme, it’s just for fun.”
Jacqueline Woods
“How you feeling now, not a bit tired?”
Jackie Gibson
“No, good.”
As our older Belizeans enjoyed their day, Thompson says a lot of other work will be done to improve the lives of seniors.
Lorraine Thompson
“Certainly there is room for improvement, but I’ll tell you Jackie, that we are doing a lot. There have been a lot of achievements in the area of promoting the health of older persons. For instance, just this year, the Ministry of human Development and its partners launched a policy for older persons, which is an excellent achievement. We’re one of the few countries in this region that has done that, and it’s a clear indication that we’re prepared to put in place activities and programmes that will help to improve the lives of older persons.”
Today’s walk was held under the theme: It’s your turn tomorrow, so help the older persons today. Reporting for News 5, Jacqueline Woods.
