An inspiring local is proof that the secret to longevity could come down to keeping fit through kayaking.
Turning 95 years old is an achievement in itself, but even more so when the birthday girl is still kayaking in one of the “most active” clubs in Queensland.
The Sun Coast Seniors Recreational Kayak Club will kick off a special joint celebration at the weekend: its 30th anniversary celebrations and the 95th birthday of the club’s last active founding member, Terri Stannard.
Cub president Ken Jeffreys said the club had stood the test of time and was as relevant today as it was when it began as an offshoot of the University of the Third Age in the early 1990s.
“Terri Stannard was one of the founding members – back then she was in her early 60s,” he said.
“On Saturday, she celebrates her 95th birthday and she’s still paddling almost every week.
“She is our inspiration – her mind is as sharp as a tack and she’s still capable of leading a 12km paddle, particularly at Currimundi Lake, where she knows every tributary and canal that flows into the lake and out to sea.”
Ms Stannard said some things might have changed over the past three decades but the club’s values had not.
“This has always been a warm, welcoming and friendly club, and perhaps that’s because we are not a competitive club. We don’t try to be the fastest or the best,” she said.
“We are here for the camaraderie, the friendship and to keep fit.
“It has been a big part of my life, especially in my retirement.”
The party at Crummunda Park on the banks of Currimundi Lake at 11am this Saturday, March 25, is one of many special events planned for the year to celebrate the club’s anniversary.
Mr Jeffreys said SSRKC was perhaps the most active paddle club in Queensland and possibly Australia.
“We have 104 members and we paddle every week on Monday, Wednesdays and Thursday, and with a skills session on Tuesdays,” he said.
“You will find us on every conceivable waterway from the Noosa Everglades to Moreton Bay to the south and Maleny out to the west – in dams, creeks, rivers, lakes, mangroves and open ocean.
“The variety means we cater for people of all levels of fitness, skills and age, provided you are over 50.”
The club’s 30th anniversary will be launched by Sunshine Coast councillor and watersports enthusiast Terry Landsberg.
Cr Landsberg said he was delighted to help the club celebrate the important milestone with a $1000 grant.
“The SSRKC aligns so well with our council’s vision,” he said.
“I won’t subject you to lengthy explanation about our Environment and Liveability Strategy and how that fits with the economic strategy but let me tell you the outcomes we seek to achieve are so similar to what the kayak club is doing and has been doing for the past 30 years.
“It’s about quality of life for all its people irrespective of age. It’s about healthy living, it’s about providing wildlife corridors and looking after waterways and encouraging our people to use the natural environment for walking, hiking, cycling and paddling.
“This club embraces all of that. These paddlers probably know more about the rivers, the creeks, the dams, the surf beaches and our coastal fringe as any other organisation.”
Cr Landsberg said he was delighted the club would be encouraging others to embrace healthy lifestyles through a number of its anniversary events. These include an open day, where people over 50 will be encouraged to try kayaking, and a symposium later in the year to bring kayakers together.
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