It’s never too late to take up a new hobby and find enjoyment in fitness, as a nonagenarian from Prince Edward Island, Canada recently proved. To celebrate turning 96 last month, Dr. Bill Mason hit his local gym and smashed out a CrossFit WOD that included a deadlift, a 200-meter row, situps, pushups, pullups, and shoulder presses.
“I find that the time sort of hangs heavy on one’s hands at this stage in life,” he told CBC News. “And I’m very interested in finding something new that’s different – that’s why I’m here.”
CrossFit is a relatively new pastime for Mason; he explained that he initially started going after his son Patrick suggested it might be a good way of building back strength. Mason suffered a stroke two years ago, and while his brain function fortunately remained unaffected, he began to find that he had trouble getting around.
“I figured out that part of the wobbliness was that I was very weak,” he said. “It wasn’t so much a neurological deficit, but I figured if I could get the strength component dealt with, then I would be less wobbly… I’m getting strength, which makes me less wobbly on my feet.”
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While Mason has only been going to his Prime Time seniors class for a relatively short time, coach and gym co-owner Mike Ives is both impressed and inspired by the progress of his oldest athlete.
“We’ve actually seen pretty significant progress with him even in the last five weeks,” Ives said. “He has been using his cane a lot less, even through the workouts where he used to have to hold on to a post and do any kind of dumbbell work. Now he’s just standing free and clear… It’s motivating and humbling.”
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Philip Ellis
Philip Ellis is a freelance writer and journalist from the United Kingdom covering pop culture, relationships and LGBTQ+ issues.
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