Two Duluth residents started Camp Kid-Again to help women older than 50 relearn how to live an active life

Release Date: 08/13/06
BY LINDA HANSON
NEWS TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

All week long, it was nothing but play, play, play at Camp Kid-Again.

The one-week fitness camp at the College of St. Scholastica was aimed at helping women age 50 and older incorporate fun physical activity into their lives.

On the second day of camp, Sandi Morris of Arvada, Colo., came out of Lake Superior beaming after her first kayaking experience. She planned to kayak again and was looking forward to the camp's other outings.

"I feel like the luckiest person in the world to be able to experience this," said Morris, 68. "I get to do everything I always wanted to do."

The camp's co-founders, Gary and Judy Gordon of Duluth, want people know that you don't have to go to a fitness center to stay fit. The key is doing activities you enjoy, whether it's dancing or walking or something else, said Judy Gordon, 52.

If you stay active as you age, you can prevent chronic illnesses, said Gary Gordon, 59.

With the help of a $5,000 Venture Fund grant from the College of Scholastica, the Gordons organized the pilot camp on July 23-25. Gary is an associate professor in the college's Department of Exercise Physiology. Also helping with the camp were people from the college's psychology, gerontology and nursing departments and the college's wellness center.

Some of the activities the campers could sample were tennis, yoga, weight training, salsa dancing and tai chi. They also went on adventures, such as hiking in Gooseberry Falls State Park and canoeing the Brule River. There also were classes on topics such as spirituality and wellness and life after retirement.

The campers' schedule included time to relax in the evening by sharing poetry, singing around a campfire and strolling Duluth's Lakewalk. There even were times set aside for naps.

The camp drew 11 women, who ranged in age from 50 to 78.

Judy got the idea for the camp by going on bike trips with her mother, Carol Cohen, 75, who spends summers at a local lake. Judy thought Duluth would be a great setting for a fitness camp for older women because there are so many activities to do in the area.

She enlisted her mother -- who likes to cross-country ski, bike, walk and play tennis -- to help teach tennis at the camp.

"I just feel that the older you get, the more important it is to stay active," Cohen said.

FUN ON THE WATER

Kayaking along the shore of Duluth's Canal Park was popular with the campers.

After learning how to handle a kayak and getting safety instructions, the campers ventured out on Lake Superior with help from staff from Midnight Sun, a local outdoors store that offers kayak lessons and trips.

Some campers set out tentatively, gently dipping their paddles in the water. After about a half-hour of paddling, their faces were misted with water and many were grinning.

Sandi Morris called kayaking a peak experience and loved the feeling of being on Lake Superior. "This is such a beautiful place," she said.

Morris said she was a couch potato until age 59 but completed her first triathalon at age 60. "I swim and bike and walk a lot. I do something physical every day," she said.

When she was growing up, Morris said no one encouraged girls to be physically active. "This is a chance for women our age to do things we weren't allowed to do," she said.

Sandy Greenwood of Owatonna, Minn., described kayaking as exhilarating. While the 60-year-old considers herself active, she came to camp to find ways to be even more active.

"I wanted to try different activities with like-minded people who support each other and have enthusiasm," she said.

Andrea Gagne-Marsolek, 50, of Duluth said she has walked along Lake Superior many times but it was different being on the water in a kayak. "I felt so free," she said.

Maureen Kraus of Brighton, N.Y., said Camp Kid-Again is a wonderful concept. Kraus, 59, came because as a school psychologist she believes she needs to practice wellness. Being healthy is a way of life, she added.

"I'm a baby boomer and a lot of us baby boomers need to re-evaluate our lifestyles," she said. "I'm not sedentary -- I run up stairs in school -- but I don't do a lot of fun activities."

Her aunt, 78-year-old Alice Goodman of Rio Rancho, N.M., also attended the camp. She loved her first taste of kayaking and plans to surprise her children by going kayaking with them.

Goodman walks every day and bowls a couple of times a week. She thought the camp would be fun because she could try other activities, such as tennis, which she hasn't played since she was 10 years old.

Deb Carroll, 56, of Superior recently retired from a job she loved and is looking for other activities to love. The list of camp activities looked like things she'd like to try.

"It's nice to have an opportunity to take time for yourself," Carroll said.

LEADING BETTER LIVES

The Gordons plan to offer Camp Kid-Again next summer, possibly four sessions.

While Judy would like Duluth to become known as a center for active aging, one of Gary's goals is to change the image of aging to active aging. The goal of being active is not just to live longer, but to have a better quality of life as you age, he said.

"It's so people can lead better, more fulfilled lives," Gary said.