Active octogenarians

They met at the YMCA 17 years ago. Or was it dancing?

Rita and Stuart Ashmead, of Ottumwa, aren?t for sure. But you can bet they met during some physical activity. Stuart is 87, and Rita will be 80 in November. Every year they compete in the Iowa Senior Games?Rita as a runner, Stuart as a swimmer. And they hold all the records. But they aren?t boastful about their gold medals. In fact, most people, even some of their closest friends, don?t know they compete.

Stuart fingers the medals he had to force Rita into bringing out. The medals speak for themselves. Rita: 50 meter, 100, 200, 400, 800, and 1500 meter gold medals. All are records. Stuart: 50 free style, 50 back stroke, 100 free, 100 back, 200 free and 200 back stroke. Stu?s were records when he turned 85.

What?s even more amazing, is that Stu can?t walk without assistance. He has spinal stenosis, and lost the use of his legs five or six years ago. But, trust me on this one, he doesn?t let it bother him.

He doesn?t need his legs to swim. The Iowa Senior Games has a lift for getting him in and out of the water. And then it?s all upper body strength.

Stu has perfected a method of keeping his head low in the water, which brings his legs up. By swimming real deep in the water, some people don?t even think he?s breathing. But he is, and he smokes the competition, what few there are left in his age division.

Stuart likes to have fun. One of his old buddies complained, ?Aw, come on Stu, let me win one!?

Stuart let his friend keep up with him on the first lap, then turned it on in the second.

Stuart is a retired military man. He spent 30-plus years in the Air Force. He suspects that he is the oldest ranking enlisted veteran in Iowa. Rita whispers, ?Military people are survivors.?

Of course, along with Stuart?s illness and medication, comes some pain and discomfort. However, when he?s in the water, ?It?s a whole other world,? he says.

He says the only thing that bothers him is, ?When I?m not swimming.?

Rita had seven children and worked two jobs. When her last child left home, she went back to school, got her nursing degree, and became the county nurse. She started walking about 20 years ago, faster and faster, until she was running. She?s never stopped, and still has no joint pain.

Today, she runs three to four times a week and lifts weights three days a week at the YMCA.

Even though she hasn?t turned 80 because of how the Iowa Games list age, she was in the 80 to 85 age group. There were three records in that age group that had never been challenged. Rita set a goal of breaking those records. And she did. Her goal next year is to break her own records.

Stuart contemplates that, because of the progressive nature of his disability, this might be the last year they can compete together. But he has no regrets.

?We have the best life in the world,? he says, wrapping an arm around Rita. ?I swim for fun. Rita?s the competitor. You ought to see her at shuffleboard. She hates to lose.?

Have a good story? Call or text Curt Swarm in Mt. Pleasant at 319-217-0526, email him at curtswarm@yahoo.com, or visit his website at www.empty-nest-words-photos-and-frames.com. Curt also reads his stories at www.lostlakeradio.com.