FUN AND GAMES

What I learned from playing 70 sports the year I turned 70

- Garry Moir

CALL IT A GEEZER CRISIS. An old man grasping for a semblance of youth. A hare-brained scheme that would almost certainly end in lack of dignity or, even worse, serious injury. But on my 70th birthday, in September 2019, I decided to participate in 70 different sports before I turned 71. The motivation? Simply to have some fun.

I had played sports as a youngster and never stopped. I live in Winnipeg and skating, curling, slow-pitch softball and the odd game of golf have long been part of my annual routine. So while it might sound like hubris, I was confident that 70 sports in one year was well within my reach.

To qualify as a sport, the endeavour would require at least some of the following: agility, strength, hand-eye coordination, or it at least had to leave me huffing and puffing. That obviously eliminated competitions such as poker, chess or hotdog-eating. My goal was not to master any of the sports, but to just give them a whirl.

Athleticism, after all, does not end at some arbitrary age. In every one of these activities, there are people much older than me who can play the game at a level I could never hope to achieve. “Try anything once,” was my motto, then move on.

THE LACK-OF-DIGNITY BIT came early. Shortly after my 70th birthday, I took a crack at paddleboarding. Not a confidence builder! Family members were greatly entertained watching me first try to get on the damned board, then stand on the board and finally fall into the water before trying all over again. Lesson learned: perseverance pays off. Eventually I stood, I balanced and I paddled. An early success.