By Meg Peters
Review Co-Editor
While his scream may have ‘scared widows and children,? around the track, Senior Olympian Alan Raynor used it to his advantage with every push off the ground.
‘Yesterday I was putting an ice pack on my leg, but today I’m up and peppy,? the 84-year-old gold medalist said.
Raynor, along with over 200 other contestants from around the United States, competed in several Field and Track events for the Michigan Senior Olympics held Sunday at Lake Orion High School.
Two Lake Orion residents, Raynor and Stanley Guest, represented their community with grace and agility, earning both gold and silver medals along with national rankings.
For his first event, the high jump, Raynor was a bit louder than the rest of his competitors.
While putting to the test some of the dynamic exercises Raynor has been practicing, the Senior Olympian was not bashful to also give it his all in several loud yells off the ground, and over the pole.
His roars could be heard from around the track, and gave Raynor the extra little lift he needed, he said. At 1.10 meters, Raynor earned the gold in the 80 to 84 age group for his highest jump, a height he hadn’t cleared in over several years.
‘I’m feeling good because that qualified me for the All American ranking in that event,? he said.
Raynor also earned a gold medal in his specialty event, the triple jump, at 6.75 meters, ranking him the second best in the U.S. for 2015.
‘I was beating people in their 60s and 70s,? he said. ‘And I only took one jump, then I took a foul and came up a little lame, and I said that’s it, that 6.75 meters is gonna do it.?
Lake Orion resident Stanley Guest, 53, took a gold in the 800 meter run, and a silver in the 400 meter run for the 50 to 54 age group.
‘It’s fun every time,? he said, his second time competing in the Senior Olympics. ‘I’d like to do it every year, God willing. You never know how the body will hold up. Things fall apart easier when you’re trying to go fast.?
Guest was very inspired.
‘At these events you see runners 85 to 90 competing in sprints and other field events, so I just hope if I live that long that I can still compete. The most exciting thing is to be in the youngest groups because you feel very young, but I lose that next year.?
Like Raynor, Guest will also be moving up an age group.
And, like Guest, Raynor also took two silver medals. The first was in the long jump, with a leap of 2.84 meters, missing the All American title by .01 meters. His second silver was earned in the 100 meter dash.
Raynor noted that the 100 meter gold medalist, David Hessler of Ann Arbor, was the winner of both the 200 meter and 100 meter dashes for several years.
‘I thought, hey, I’d like to challenge him even though I haven’t run any dashes in four years myself. But Hessler continued his unbeaten string.? The Lake Orion Olympian was only .03 seconds behind.
With the silvers behind him, Raynor is only looking towards the future.
‘Of course next year it’s going to be wide open for me,? he said. ‘I’ll probably go into more events, I’ll still run the 100 meter and add the 200 meter hurdle, and maybe the javelin, because I’ll be an old guy, I’ll be 85.?
Raynor plans to spend his time up until then training for the 85 to 90 age group, incorporating dynamic exercises into his weekly routine.
With the help of local TV station Orion Neighborhood Television, ONTV, Raynor produced a work-out video titled Staying Flexible Longer.
‘Strength training should only be a secondary priority for seniors, we need to focus on agility and flexibility, and like anything else, there are good and bad ways to stretch.?
Raynor plans on promoting his instructional video to local area health programs, and said the 15 minute routine would be a good one for all to do.
He has been practicing his dynamic exercises for the past three months, and figures they are the ‘wonderful excuse? he did so well at the Michigan Senior Olympics.
‘Mother Nature is continuing the inevitable aging process, but I have no gripe. When she made me, she outdid herself.?