KAMLOOPS - The two oldest athletes at the BC Seniors Games were honoured by Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development Coralee Oakes as inspiring examples of lifelong fitness on Wednesday, August 21st just prior to the Opening Ceremony.  

Olga Kotelko and Fred Schulhof are both 94, both live in West Vancouver, and both are accomplished athletes.  Olga is competing in 11 track and field events at the BC Seniors Games ranging from sprinting to high jump to hammer throw.  Originally from small-town Saskatchewan, Olga came to B.C. in the 1950s. She has had international media attention, has won more than 700 gold medals in her career—most of which she gives away to others—but didn’t even start training in track and field until she was 77 years old. Olga is proof that it’s never too late to get started.

Fred Schulhof has been swimming all his life and will compete in five swimming events at the Games. Fred’s competitive swimming career began in Ireland where he swam for the Irish national team. He took a 40 year break from competition—between 1960 and 2000—while he raised a family and worked as an electrical engineer in Vancouver. But as soon as his competition career resumed, he was once again winning medals. Fred holds 24 Canadian swimming records—11 in the 85-89 category and 13 in the 90-95 category.

Learn more:

BC Senior Games Society: http://www.bcseniorsgames.org/bcsgs/

Kamloops 2013 BC Seniors Games: http://www.2013kamloopsbcseniorsgames.org/

(flickr.com)