Hello interesting and active seniors! In this issue:

• Seniors that competed this year!

• What lessons from older Olympians mean for our health (and how we can become fitter starting today)

• How Sylvester Stallone wrote Rocky over a long weekend

• H.G. Wells on why people might see your taking action as an act of revolution

Seniors represented at the Olympics this year (and why that matters to us)

As the 2024 Olympians arrive home, we’re noting that despite what the visuals of gymnastics imply, there’s diversity of age among Olympians. In fact, the gap alone between the oldest and youngest for 2024 is 54 years!

Here are some of the most interesting. More importantly, scroll down for what this means for you.

• Zeng Zhiying (Chile): Remember when we were making cornbread and pickles during 2020 lockdowns? After a 30-year hiatus, Zeng picked the paddle back up in 2020 to stay occupied and fit. Four years later, she competed in table tennis at the Olympics at age 58.

• Juan Antonio Jiménez (Spain): A 65-year-old equestrian, Jiménez was the oldest Olympian in 2024. And he’s been working toward this goal since he attended the Seoul Games in 1988! That’s dedication.

• Ni Xialian (Luxembourg): At age 61, Ni started representing Luxembourg in international competitions in 1991. Since then, she competed in the Olympics in 2008, 2012, 2016, 2021 (delayed from 2020), and now 2024. At age 60 she was ranked the 46th best table tennis player on Earth.

• Snoop Dogg (United States): While not officially competing, the American rapper was tapped to bear the torch at 52 (granted, still very much a youngster). Aside from wearing some of the best fashion at the Games, he brought along his best friend, Martha Stewart, for good times in Paris.

What you can do

Not all of us can be Olympians. But almost all of us can stay (or get) fit. Getting at least light exercise, staying connected to other people, and maintaining balance leads to a happier and healthier life.

Take a Walk

One of the healthiest activities available is simply walking. The benefits from just half an hour are wildly underestimated. Taking a walk most days increases health, fitness, emotional well-being, and longevity along almost every metric. It’s also a great social activity to stay in touch with friends and maintain relationships, which has its own emotional and physical health benefits.

Consistency and the next level

There’s no shortage of articles about exercises for every stage of life. Here’s a quick rundown to motivate your exploration:

• Zumba, bike riding, water aerobics, and dancing are all effective options you can tailor to your fitness level and preference for socializing.

• For people with more limited mobility, exercise bands and chair exercises (including seated tai chi) work.

• Like games? Bocce ball, cornhole, and pickleball are all hot right now.

The key is setting a routine and maintaining consistency over a long period of time. If you don’t already, consider regularly meeting up with friends or setting designated days and times every week for your chosen activities!

The Senior Games

Want to go for the gold? Participating in the biennial National Senior Games is more accessible than you think.

The next National Senior Games start in a little under a year, on July 24th, 2025. To qualify you must be at least a spry 50 and qualify at any one of the State-level games by the end of this year. 

Try out for everything from Shuffleboard and Pickleball to Volleyball and Track & Field!

If you need one final bit of inspiration, check out Rachel Williams. Another Covid story, she bought a robot opponent to practice table tennis against in 2020. Three years later she went to the 2023 Senior games in Philadelphia -- at the age of 89.

If 2025 is too soon for you, 2027 sounds like a good goal to set today! Williams can do it, and so can you!

Today’s Question for You

And you can always reply to this email if you have any questions or thoughts. A real live person will get back to you (imagine that).

Chat with us, share with a friend

Know anyone interested in Tapestry or want to talk to us? You can forward this newsletter to them!

Were you forwarded this newsletter?

See prior issues and sign up here. We’d love to have you. Also, be sure you follow us on Facebook and join the discussion in our Group there.

Your fact for the day: How Sylvester Stallone wrote Rocky over a long weekend

Some people know that Sylvester Stallone not only starred in Rocky, but also wrote it. But did you know he wrote it in three and a half days?

He was broke with $106 in the bank and a $300 rent bill (as an aside, $300 rent in California is what we’re most nostalgic about in this whole story). He had to sell his dog (and best friend) for $50 since he couldn’t afford dog food.

In a burst of inspiration, he locked himself away and forced himself to bang out a script. He blacked out the windows and wouldn’t let himself do anything else until he finished it, three and a half days later.

Coming out of a failed audition for a different role, producers expressed interest in his script but not him. In fact, they offered him $360,000 (about $2 million today) for the script on the condition that he wouldn’t be in the movie (ouch). They wanted to go with someone like Burt Reynolds instead. Can you imagine that?

Stallone decided he was more comfortable with poverty than giving up his one shot at fame. He wouldn’t budge. Instead, he negotiated a deal to produce a low-budget film with him as the star.

That low-budget film was Rocky. Not a bad investment.

And yes, he bought back his dog (at a significant markup).

Whether it’s trying out for the Olympics or writing your screenplay this weekend, start doing something that makes you happy today! And be sure to tell us about it.