WEST KELOWNA – A West Kelowna man is bringing a whole new meaning to the term ‘veteran player’. The 82-year-old celebrated his birthday on Tuesday by playing a hockey game. In fact, he plays regularly.
“I often wonder what people who don’t have sports do,” says Wally Holt.
He is a member of the Ogopogo’s Senior Men’s Hockey team. Holt is believed to be the oldest playing goalie in the city.
“I used to play forward,” says Holt. “But we were always short on goaltenders so I filled in and I like to be in goal.”
Holt started playing the sport when he was just six-years-old and it’s not just the hockey that keeps him coming back; he says it’s mainly about the camaraderie.
“These guys, they don’t baby you which is good,” says Holt.
“They don’t go easy on me and vice versa for me.”
He says he loves hanging out with his teammates, even if that means them poking fun at him from time to time.
They humoured Holt with a birthday card with a dinosaur on it.
Holt admits his age has slowed him down a bit but he proves he’s still got it out on the ice.
“Wally is so versatile, he’ll come out of the net and play forward if we’ve got two goalies,” says teammate Bill Searle.
He’s become an inspiration for many of his teammates like Searle.
“I just hope I hang in there that long too. He’s unbelievable,” says Searle.
“At 82-years-old, even putting on the goalie pads is something.”
Holt isn’t showing signs of slowing down, at least not anytime soon.
In about 20 years, the Ogopogo’s have grown from a team of about 10 players to more than 30 players. They have drop in games at West Kelowna’s Jim Lind Arena twice a week.
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