More than 100 senior athletes took over Moorestown on Sept. 16 for the OlympiActs – a sports competition featuring Mid-Atlantic Acts Retirement-Life Communities residents in their 60s through 90s. From fast-paced walking relays and bocce to water events and more, all the competitors didn’t let age define what they can do. The pep rallies, team spirit, competitive matchups and medal ceremonies all highlighted Mid-Atlantic seniors who are redefining healthy aging – and the physical, social and mental benefits of staying activewell into the golden years. Held at The Evergreens, OlympiActs included Acts’ residents from New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland. This was the 20th year for the celebration of healthy living, friendly competition and community spirit.
“Acts as a whole is a big family, so it’s nice to have everyone come together for this big event,” said the Evergreens’ fitness director Theresa Callahan. “It’s a lot of fun teaching the residents the benefits of exercise, but also wellness. We’re celebrating different abilities because we have people who are super athletic and walk very fast or we have people who are better at trivia (an OlympiActs game). We have a bunch of different abilities of residents coming together to compete and have a lot of fun, and it’s just really rewarding to see all the hard work (of the OlympiActs) come together.”
Acts is one of the largest senior living operators in the United States. With more than 11,000 residents, Acts’ 28 communities are all about helping people live healthier, happier and more fulfilling lives. Exercise, social connection and lifelong learning aren’t just activities at all Acts communities, but they’re keys to maintaining vitality, purpose and joy. For OlympiActs, each team had a theme, from the Bayleigh Chase (Easton, Maryland) Rays to the Country House (New Castle County, Delaware) Silver Fox, the Heron Point (Chestertown, Maryland) Crab and The Evergreens Honeybees. Additional games included corn hole, billiards, trivia game Quizzo, putting, jigsaw puzzles, Nintendo Wii bowling and more. Everyone was decked out in their best attire and for Evergreens’ Executive Director Robyn Crandall, OlympiActs was simply a way to make wellbeing fun and see residents engage in fun activities. To host such a feel-good day was a defining moment for Moorestown’s senior campus, and for Crandall, she’s on the work-to-move-in plan. If she’s not running the community the way that she would want to live in it, then she believes that she’s doing something wrong.
“If I can’t say to you, ‘I would live in this community,’ then I shouldn’t be doing my job,” she noted. “I promote this type of living for what I see it does for seniors. The best way to learn about us is to come visit us. The outside general public doesn’t really think of our communities in the way that they really shine, and a lot of fun can be made here.”
Tom Sheridan, a resident at The Evergreens in Moorestown, took home the Bronze in billiards at OlympiActs on Sept. 16.
Evergreens residents Joan Kinbar and Jeff Sheehan took home the Bronze in the walking relay.
The OlympiActs featured a variety of activities from water events to games like bocce, corn hole, putting and jigsaw puzzles.
