South Jersey Physical Therapy and Functional Wellness in Marlton hosted an event at the Community House of Moorestown last month that honored five local residents who are living proof that vitality does not have to fade with age.
“Health Heroes: Live to 100” was part of the Centenarian Project, an ongoing community initiative from the local clinic that’s aimed at helping people reach 100 years of age with their independence, energy and joy intact. Over the past two years, South Jersey Physical Therapy and Functional Wellness has hosted more than 15 free community education classes on topics including bone and joint health, neuropathy, foot and ankle pain, and neck pain.
“We spend an enormous amount of energy in this country trying to add years to people’s lives, and not nearly enough helping them add life to those years,” said Dr. Ken S. Cheng, CEO of South Jersey Physical Therapy and Functional Wellness. “These five people are not celebrities or elite athletes. They are our neighbors, and what they have done is quietly remarkable and completely learnable. We wanted the community to hear it directly from them.”
“Health Heroes: Live to 100” came from a particular incident two-and-a-half years ago when Cheng was on a train to go visit his grandparents in Philadelphia. He sat behind an older couple, and he overheard them talking about their retirement. Cheng couldn’t unhear what he witnessed, he shared with attendees on Sept. 24. The couple mentioned that they were empty nesters looking to sell their home and downsize to a single-story floor because they didn’t want to have to climb any stairs due to their ongoing health issues, specifically arthritis and sore knees. It took Cheng about eight years before he realized that it was common for people to think that way, and he wanted to do something to change that.
“I could not get over how sure that couple was that they were preparing for their golden years, but yet their golden years of decline,” Cheng said. “I want our people in our community to thrive. We’re here to prolong an amazing, capable, independent joyful life where you can still have fun in your seventies and eighties.”
The five honorees–Marguerite Schroeder, Mike Delahanty, Gwen Crooms, George Corcoran and Tema Morelli–were selected from the community for the way they have built long, active and purposeful lives. Rather than simply celebrating them from a stage, the evening explored how each of them lives, drawing out the daily habits, relationships and mindsets behind their longevity. At 90 years old, Crooms swims regularly at fitness and wellness center Healthtrax. She learned to sew at 12 years old, and by high school, she was working for a high-end designer on Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia, learning craftsmanship from people who made beautiful things for a living. She built her first life in Philadelphia and raised two children there and faced the loss of her first husband. At 90, Crooms still cooks her own real, nutrient dense food, keeps alcohol to little or none, and trains twice a week, lifting weights and swimming laps. Her blueprint is to eat real food, use your hands, keep moving and stay open to love and to what comes next. She is also currently working on a memoir of her life. Every single day she tries to get a good night’s sleep, she wakes up early every morning, and she keeps a positive outlook on life.
“I exercise every day and I’ve been doing that for more than 50 years,” Crooms said. ‘I keep that in my mind that I want to keep moving, and I keep walking. I don’t do anything except walk, and if I don’t feel like going to the gym, I’ll just walk in the house. I have been working out for a long time, and I’ve been here for a long time. I try to keep myself on a positive note so that I’m not angry. I’m never angry or upset with anyone.”
At 76 years old, Schroeder grounds her days in holistic practices that keep her centered and strong: organic eating, tai chi and yoga are all part of a daily rhythm that reflects her belief in caring for the whole self, mind, body and spirit. In recovery herself since 2008, she is a warm and steady presence for anyone walking that same road, and she speaks about her journey with honesty and hope. In 2023, she was honored with South Jersey Magazine’s Women of Excellence Legacy Award, recognizing the meaningful impact she’s made in her community. Her daily practice also includes praying, breathing and walking.
“We can do all of the external things: we can eat better, we can walk better, we can move better, we can do all of those things, but the very first thing that we have to take care of is our own internal mental health, and that can mean a whole lot to a lot of people in a lot of different ways,” Schroeder said. “What I would really hope that we would all do is consider what the inside piece of you is like as well. Healing comes from inside and change comes from inside.”
At 78 years old, Corcoran has made staying active and giving back to his community a lifelong priority. An avid walker and former runner, he has spent more than 50 years in education and more than 40 years coaching softball, positively influencing generations of students and athletes. His hobbies include baking, walking and finding ways to stay active. He also enjoys spending time with his wife, Paula, and his two daughters and three grandchildren, all who help to keep his mind sharp and help him stay curious about the world.
“The more that you’re doing things that become a habit, the more the neurons in your brain understand this is what we’re supposed to do,” Corcoran said. “Every day I get up, I do my exercises right from the beginning, and after that I make sure that I take my protein. I then go on and make sure that I walk. My goal is to get 12,000 (steps) a day. There’s such a thing as positive addiction. You just build, and the key is to continue to build, and then it’s a positive thing. You do it safely and shortly.”
Morelli, 73, retired from the New Jersey State Police 11 years ago. At 53, she had a lumpectomy to remove breast cancer. In June 2010 she joined The Majestic Dragons, a breast cancer survivor’s dragon boat team, her first team sport, at 57 years old. Aging, from her perspective, is the freedom to do more. Delahanty was raised by deaf parents. After graduating high school in 1987, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, deploying to Saudi Arabia in 1991 ahead of Operation Desert Storm before an honorable discharge that June. In retirement, he deals part time with military antiques spanning the American Revolution through Vietnam, specializing in World War II items.
Every attendee received a produced workbook featuring the five Health Heroes, their personal stories and a practical longevity blueprint built around the four pillars that drive healthy aging: stress and spiritual management, restorative sleep, whole-food nutrition and purposeful movement.
South Jersey residents Marguerite Schroeder (left to right), Gwen Crooms, Tema Morelli, Dr. Ken S. Cheng, CEO of South Jersey Physical Therapy and Functional Wellness in Marlton, George Corcoran (back left) and Mike Delahanty at the “Health Heroes: Live to 100” event at the Community House of Moorestown.
Rather than simply celebrating them from a stage, the evening explored how each of the five honorees actually lives, drawing out the daily habits, relationships, and mindsets behind their longevity.
