Positive Aging Week emphasises the positive aspects of aging and the significant roles older individuals play in our communities and families.
Positive Ageing Week is an initiative by Age Action to celebrate the contributions of older people and to promote their agency.
Choice tenant Dirk Lakeman lives in Bangor and at 80 years of age he is the poster boy for functional movement and life long wellbeing.
‘Unless I’ve seen the sea in Ballyholme, my day isn’t complete. I walk, bike or drive along the concrete seafront every day, the weather dictates the best way to enjoy this unique part of Bangor.
I have enjoyed swimming at Ballyholme for the past 3 years. Just down from the yacht club is a slip road to the sea, I check regularly to make sure that the water quality is dark or light blue. Next I check the tides as I like to swim only with high tides and then I check the weather.
Lastly, the wind, even when the temperature is around 8 C to 10C and there is little or no wind, it’s still great for a swim, even in autumn or winter.
When I first started to swim in the sea even with a wetsuit on I was still shivering occasionally from the cold, until a couple of fellow swimmers in the autumn wearing gloves and socks pointed out that the body extremities, i.e., hands and feet should be covered, they were right I’ve NEVER been cold again since wearing socks and gloves.
I never forget my Safety Float bag, for car keys, purse, mobile phone, other valuables and in case I want a break, I can rest on it.
Another lady on Groomsport beach mentioned that all pain in her body would be gone for a number of hours as a result of a sea swim. I consciously checked the next time I went for a swim with a headache, rotator cuff pain and shoulder and neck discomfort, I swam 300 to 400 metres and jumped in the car, driving home I realised she was right I was not aware of a headache, it had completely gone and only a few hours later was I aware of neck & shoulder discomfort returning.
I’m quite a few years over the age of 75 and thus still middle aged according to BBC4, and according to the programme producers and participants, we are still only middle aged until we hit 90, but yes then we are considered old!’
Dirk is a member of the Choice editorial team who meet regularly to collaborate on Choice News- contact communitydevelopment@choice-housing.org to join the team!
