Wednesday, June 22, 2016 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Fit For
Sisters
Andrew Luscutoff
Columnist
Pushing back
Father Time
An inspiring event hap-
pened last week in Bend,
as the state’s most seasoned
athletes arrived for the
Oregon Senior Games.
The senior games pro-
vide a testament to longevity
the athletes possess for an
active life. It’s a showcase
of refusing to succumb to
the preconceptions of aging.
It’s a group of people who
don’t allow small setbacks
or natural declines to stop
them from enjoying the
game; a pure showcase of
sportsmanship.
An aging body begins
show signs of wear and
tear. Aches, pains, and loss
of muscle mass. Decreased
performance and sharpness
of reaction. While these are
all truths, there are ways to
slow or halt many progres-
sions which many believe
are to be inevitable.
A Norwegian university
recently published data that
aerobic fitness (heart and
lung endurance) is directly
correlated to longevity. They
proceeded to develop an
algorithm to chronologically
score someone’s fitness age
considering a variety of
health markers. This awards
an age depending on health
and fitness that can be used
to figure someone’s overall
expectation of longevity.
This algorithm was used
to look at participants of the
Senior Olympics. A remark-
able number of data points
was selected — over 4,200.
The results surprised: with
the average age of these
athletes being 68, their fit-
ness age score was 43. A
full 25 years of youthful
health. A remarkable corre-
lation showing that a healthy
active life is worth the time
and effort.
The authors of this paper
also note that many athletes
weren’t superstars — or
even consistently training
— until middle-aged. Many
existed in busy family life
with 9-to-5 workdays. This
lifestyle didn’t promote
structured training. It wasn’t
until the freedom of retire-
ment that many began to
flourish.
How does one continue
to stay fit or even compete at
a comparable level?
I spoke with local triath-
lete coach and founder of
Lucky Dog Racing Jaime
Dispenza who told me:
“Racing fast is still a pos-
sibility even for the aging
athlete. They need a little
more recovery between hard
efforts in the form of light-
intensity work. Many plans
prescribe much more inten-
sity than is feasible. This is
why a great coach can help
balance this recovery.”
Sharon Fetrow, a Sisters
woman who didn’t start
her athletic endeavors until
around age 60, has com-
peted in more than 60 orga-
nized runs and races in the
last four years. Her biggest
piece of advice was not to
get discouraged.
“The first time I ran, it
was agony, my joints and
muscles were in such dis-
tress,” she said. “Now I can’t
imagine stopping because I
don’t want to have to start
the process (of building fit-
ness) again.”
She also recommended
th at a pers o n s p eaks
with their doctor about
medications.
“I battle high blood-pres-
sure, and the meds really
make a difference in how I
feel running,” she said.
Her last piece of advice:
“Seek professional help;
I have worked with a per-
sonal trainer and specialists
that have helped a lot. A
knowledgeable professional
can work within someone’s
limits, assess their personal
needs, while addressing
injury prevention and lon-
gevity. “
More advice, this time
from a longtime weightlifter
and gym-goer, aged 69 —
Frank Deggendorfer.
Frank told me his best
asset is a partner he can trust
and rely on. He has been
working with the same part-
ner for over 12 years. Frank,
like Sharon, also echoed the
virtue of consistency; they
both said someone doesn’t
need to do a lot, but to take
it one step at a time and to
listen to the body.
Serving Sisters Since 1976
Quilt Show raffle
tickets available
The Sisters Outdoor Quilt
Show (SOQS) offers several
raffles each year, which help
support the free event.
This year’s raffle quilt,
“A Walk in the Pines,” was
designed and pieced by Teri
Wood and quilted by Cindy
Young. The quilt is on display
inside Stitchin’ Post up until
Quilt Show day and must be
seen to appreciate the exqui-
site piecing and quilting by
these two women.
Raffle tickets are on sale
at the SOQS office, Stitchin’
Post, and at all Quilt Show
and other events throughout
Sisters. The drawing for the
winning ticket takes place
at 4 p.m. at the lawn behind
Stitchin’ Post on Quilt Show
Day, Saturday, July 9.
The 2016 raffle bicycle
features the Mystic fab-
ric design by Valori Wells
Kennedy. She is collaborat-
ing Blazin Saddles Cycle-N-
Style, to design another one-
of-a-kind cruiser bike. The
bike basket will be full of
Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show
“bling.”
“Buy your tickets now and
you could be cruisin’ down to
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Adventure Camp
Registrations Open!
For Ages 5-10
Weekly, June 22 - August 14
7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
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Smile by Robin and
The Brace Place!
your favorite fabric store on
this cool ride,” said SOQS
Executive Director Jeanette
Pilak.
Tickets are $5 each and
can be purchased at Stitchin’
Post. The drawing for the
bike is on the lawn behind
Stitchin’ Post at 4 p.m. on
Quilt Show Day, Saturday,
July 9. The winner need not
be present.
“We will be happy to ship
the bike within the USA,
if our winner is from out of
town,” Pilak said.
Jeanette Pilak, SOQS
director, reminds folks that,
“The Sisters Outdoor Quilt
Show is a ‘show-and-tell’
exhibit. That means the quilts
entered are not judged or
juried. We are proud of the
41-year tradition that accepts
quilts of any style, with
the few limitations. We are
proud to display such diverse
work, be it a first quilt or an
art quilt, providing every
one—quilter and visitor—the
opportunity to observe, enjoy,
and learn,” she says.
For information visit
SistersOutdoorQuiltShow.org
or call 541-549-0989.
Dr. Thomas R. Rheuben
541-549-0109
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