Scot Henney is 92 years old — and he’s quiet as he takes a few warm-up swings before he turns 90 degrees to hurl a hammer into the air.
He aims to throw it eight metres — a mark he easily surpasses, throwing it more than 14 meters.
The hammer throw competitor from Maple Ridge is one of thousands of people who have gathered in Vernon this week for the 55+ B.C. Games.
“It is a wonderful experience to come here and also to meet up with people we’ve met on previous meets…renew those friendships,” Henney said.
However, the truly remarkable thing is that Henney, an experienced runner, started throwing competitively just four years ago at the age of 88.
“I went to a club for running but they put a javelin in my hand and said, ‘Throw it.’ So I threw it and he said, ‘Well, that’s pretty good,’” said Henney, recalling his first foray into competitive throwing.
Henney has some advice for those who think they’re too old to start something new.
“You lose nothing by trying and you may well be surprised at how good you may be at certain things, not just sports,” Henney said.
The 55+ B.C. Games (formerly known as the B.C. Seniors Games) is also coming full circle in Vernon this year, celebrating a milestone anniversary in the place where it originally began in 1988.
The event has grown substantially over the last 30 years. The first games had around 600 competitors. The 2017 games is expected to attract around 3,600 athletes in 27 sports.
The competition runs through Saturday and events are free and open to the public.
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