Olga
Authors: Olga Kotelko
Tags: #Health & Fitness, #Nutrition, #Biography & Autobiography, #Sports, #Exercise
Olga
The
O.K.
Way to a
Healthy, Happy Life
By Olga Kotelko
With Roxanne Davies
Edited by Michele Carter
Contents
ONE Hitting the Sports Radar at 75
FIVE Sports & Athletics: My New Passion
Dedication
To the memory of my daughter,
Nadine.
A Message
to Readers
When Olga Kotelko asked if I would help to write a little book outlining her exercise program, which she called
The O.K. Way to a Healthy, Happy Life
immediately I said yes! Like so many other people, I wanted to know how this 95-year-old grandmother, who has been called one of the world’s greatest athletes, achieves such remarkable physical accomplishments. After discussing the scope of the project, I suggested that Olga write a full account of her life. Happily she
agreed.
As a newspaper reporter I was privileged to interview people of all ages. If the average lifespan is estimated to be 1000 months, Olga already has surpassed that number by 128 months, and she shows no signs of slowing down any time soon. While few of us can match Olga’s extraordinary athletic prowess, I feel most of us can all learn some useful lessons from reading her story. Her message is simple. First and foremost: It’s never too late to get on the road to physical fitness. Second: Have fun and don’t act your age. Third: Make good choices and persevere. No
cheating!
Olga’s book is a richly woven fabric of colourful stories. She recounts her family life, her early career as a school teacher, and her many joys and challenges. Her straightforward and effective exercise and nutrition tips, which she explains in detail, will inform and motivate those readers who want to follow in her footsteps and embark on their own journey to health and
well-being.
I’ve decided that when I grow up I want to be like Olga; I think we all do. She breathes self-confidence, and she has a passion and a zest for life that is utterly contagious. While we may not have been blessed with Olga’s genes, we may want to emulate her physical, mental, and spiritual strategies for living a long, happy, and healthy life to the best of our abilities. Also, her story illustrates that you don’t have to be a competitive athlete to create a healthy, happy
lifestyle.
Olga writes, “These days, turning 60, 70, 80 and even 90 years of age will be nothing, if you take care of yourself, for nothing is beyond a woman or man’s reach. . . . Old age isn’t a disease any more than infancy. When it comes to health and wellness, seniors are not just part of the problem—we’re actually part of the
solution.”
Olga’s book is timely and inspiring. It contains her story as well as her opinions and ideas, and is intended to provide helpful information about her personal health regimen and what has worked for her. It is offered with the understanding that the author and publisher are not engaged in providing medical nor health services in the book. The reader should consult his or her doctor or other health professional before adopting any of the author’s
suggestions.
The author and publisher disclaim any responsibility for liability, loss, or risk that is incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, through the use or application of any of the contents of this
book.
Roxanne Davies
Vancouver, BC
December
2013
Foreword
It was 2008, and I remember wondering if I was pushing my Aquafit participants just a little bit too hard. It was an Aquafit
Plus
class and the participants were mostly in their 60’s and 70’s. Was the cardio too fast? Was the strength just a bit too tough? I was reassured by several participants that it wasn’t too hard, and I specifically remember a short, vibrant woman who approached me after class one day to let me know that this was good conditioning for a track and field meet she was participating in later that year. Imagine my surprise and disbelief when, about a year later, I found out Olga Kotelko was 90 years old and not the 70 or 80 that I had
thought.
Several months after that initial conversation, she approached me to show me a number of gold medals she had won in a meet. It amazed me that this slight, spry ‘old lady’ could be that active and compete in events that most people would consider impossible for someone of her age. It was, and still is, inspiring to see this woman living such an active, vigorous
life.
In the short time I have known Olga, I have watched as the world sat up and took notice of the 90-year old woman who wouldn’t act her age. This active senior has been featured in magazines and on television, simply and quietly sharing her philosophies on activity and aging, and even sharing some of her training secrets. It has been a privilege to be even peripherally involved as Olga inspires and motivates those around her. She inspires and motivates me every day and has changed my ideas of what aging means. I know her words and story will inspire you
too.
Daniel Godfrey
Aquatic Fitness Instructor
Aquatic Program
Coordinator
————————
As a medical practitioner, I have been in family medical practice since 1973. I have done extensive work in the Richmond Emergency Room and now have a special interest in
geriatrics.
Olga Kotelko is a retired schoolteacher who has not taken the easy road to retirement. She challenged track and field after the age of 77 years, and she has been a force in the Masters category, competing locally, provincially, nationally, and internationally. She has achieved numerous records and won over 650 medals, the majority being gold, and she has led the Canadian contingent in international
competition.
I have been aware of this amazing senior citizen’s accomplishments for the last ten years and have been in awe of them. However, I am most impressed with her unassuming nature and matter-of-fact approach to the challenge of world competition. She manages to train for these physically taxing events and still take an active part in her community, her Ukrainian Catholic Church and her
family.
I organize and moderate continuing medical education courses for physicians and nurses in Vancouver and Richmond. Mrs. Kotelko has given freely of her time to come and address these events and act as an example to other seniors in the community to encourage them to maintain their own physical and mental
fitness.
Michael Myckatyn, BA,
MD
————————
How is this little old lady going to keep up with
us?
Shortly after I became the 3rd Ukrainian Catholic Bishop of New Westminster in the summer of 2007, I decided that I should try to visit all of the parishes in the Eparchy (Diocese). The Eparchy takes in all of British Columbia and Yukon, and although it is large in territory, there are fewer than 15 parishes. Olga Kotelko was one of the very first parishioners to sign up for the “August 2008 Pilgrimage to the Yukon with Bishop
Ken”.
When I first met her, she let me know that she, like me, was from Saskatchewan, and that she was almost 90 years old. I have to confess I was a bit nervous when I thought of having her on the pilgrimage. What if she couldn’t keep up with the group? Who would stay behind with her? I placed my trust in God and in
Olga.
My whole image of this short, elderly lady changed dramatically the first morning. Our little pilgrimage group arranged to meet in the hotel lobby for an early morning breakfast before heading out for a day of prayer and sight-seeing. I made sure that I was one of the first ones in the lobby; as group leader, I was expected to set a good example. I was not the first one down. In fact, it was Olga, who had been up and already had gone out for
exercise!
Olga was not the pilgrim for whom we had to wait; in fact, Olga was the one leading and encouraging us. She was willing to share with the others on the pilgrimage her daily exercise regime “to keep you limber”, she said. As some members of our group, many years her junior, were dealing with the aches and pains associated with old age, Olga had advice for all of
them!
Olga. Some call her “The Magnificent” and indeed she is an inspiration to me. Her zeal for life, her deep faith in God, and her dedication to her family, church, community, and the sports world are why it is not an exaggeration to refer to her as
MAGNIFICENT.
Most Reverend Ken Nowakowski
Bishop of New Westminster for Ukrainian Catholics in British Columbia &
Yukon
————————
It was August 2009 at the World Masters outdoor track and field championships in Lahti, Finland; I had travelled back to my homeland to cheer my dad on as he competed in the grueling marathon at these championships for the first time. The excitement surrounding this competition and the athletes rivaled that of any Olympics—but the buzz was all about this 90-something-year old Canadian phenom who had been breaking all kinds of records in both track and field
events.
Throwing the javelin twice as far as the second-place competitor in her age group, running 5 seconds faster in a 100-meter sprint, jumping heights rivaling women 10 years her junior. Her name was Olga Kotelko, and I knew I had to meet
her.
I’m not entirely sure what I pictured Olga to look like or be like given her performances and star-like prominence at this track meet. Petite yet strong, humble yet confident were my immediate impressions, and being an exercise physiology professor and researcher at McGill University, I marveled at how she was able to accomplish what she had: 11 gold medals in 11 events over an 8-day period, not to mention that 8 of those events were world
records!
I invited Olga to visit our research laboratory in the Department of Kinesiology at McGill, so that we could study the limits of her physiological capacity. Without hesitation, Olga agreed (but only after she finished her European cruise), and in March 2010, we put Olga through a battery of tests: measuring her peak capacity to utilize oxygen during exercise, taking a small biopsy of her thigh muscle to investigate under the microscope, testing her maximal muscle strength. This assessment was notably memorable as we brought Olga to the fitness center where she was surrounded by 20-something year old male students who abruptly stopped doing their workout to watch in amazement as a 91-year old woman proceeded to bench-press 60 pounds, a feat that I, more than half her age, could not
do!
Simply put, Olga is inspirational—to so many people and in so many ways. She has inspired my husband, Russ Hepple (professor and scientist also at McGill), and me to expand our initial physiological study on Olga to include a larger group of world-class Masters athletes over the age of 75, with the aim of trying to understand how they maintain such superior physiological and cognitive functioning. Olga has inspired numerous young minds here at the university who have seen her undergo testing in the research lab and who have seen her guest lecture in my classes about her training practice and philosophy. In a larger sense, Olga inspires anyone she comes in contact with across the age span to be physically active and to believe in themselves. I’m not sure if we’ll ever discover Olga’s secret to success, but the experience of knowing her has enriched my life forever. If you can’t meet Olga personally, this book is the next best
thing!
Dr. Tanja Taivassalo
McGill University Associate Professor
Department of Kinesiology and Physical
Education
————————
I first met Olga when she had just begun her track and field career at age 77. Now at the age of 94 her athletic achievements continue to impress me and many others. In the words of Olga’s first coach, Bob Robinson, “This super-senior has achieved more in the realm of senior female track and field athletics than any other Canadian and indeed more than any athlete in her age in the whole
world”.
The spirit of the true athlete does not simply show in competition but in practice as well. Olga has embraced athletics as a second career. She maintains a positive disposition that makes it extremely easy for coaches to work with her. She is extremely dedicated, persevering through a constant program of exercise, which includes general and functional weight training and cardio training in addition to her track and field technical
training.
Olga recently returned from the 2012 World Masters Indoor Competition in Jyvaskyla, Finland with a cache of 10 gold medals. There were only 3 competitors in her age category, but the truth is that she smashed world records and at her age is still improving on her past
performances.
Olga’s message to seniors is that life can be beautiful no matter what your age. Listen to your body and get moving. Aging may be affected by our genes, but our real biological age depends largely on our daily habits, stress level and mental and physical exercise. Her book
Olga: The O.K. Way to a Healthy, Happy Life
will provide readers with inspiration as well as her personal program and strategy for achieving that
success.
Barb Vida
Athletic Coach & Personal
Trainer
————————
Olga Kotelko is an athlete who excels in a number of track and field events, winning medals and beating the competition in contests all over the world. She can also bench press weights that would challenge any man. One other thing: Olga is 92 years
old.
She has the physique, the strength, and the stamina of someone 20 or more years younger. Olga is so extraordinary that scientists who study the mystery of aging are trying to unlock the secret of her
longevity.
Saying Olga Kotelko is aging well is a little like saying Wayne Gretzky was pretty good with the
puck.
The track and field star owns 27 world records, has won more than 650 medals. If you go to a Masters World Championship anywhere on the planet, people will know who Olga Kotelko is. Research into aging is a relatively new field of study. Until 20 years ago most researchers thought turning back the aging clock was impossible. Aging may be inevitable, but more and more scientists believe how we age can be
changed.
From the documentary portrait of
Olga the Magnificent
CBC Radio, Sunday December 4,
2011
————————
Because we keep going, and going, and going . .
.
Aren’t old folks supposed to park their walkers in front of TV sets and slot machines? Dal Richards (93) still leads his big band; Gordon Smith (92) paints as brilliantly as ever; Olga Kotelko (92) holds all 17 world track-and-field records for her age class; Cornelia Oberlander (86) remains a landscape architect of renown; Jimmy Pattison (82) operates one of the largest private companies in Canada. Hey, David Suzuki: great that you’ve launched a new TV show, but we’ll be more impressed when you do it again 10 years from now when you’re
85.
Vancouver Magazine, June
2011
————————
“It is not so much the fear of dying that disturbs me but the sudden awareness that I have just begun to
live.”
Christopher Plummer
Canadian actor who at the age of 82
was the oldest actor to win an Academy Award in
2012