Mercy Place Mandurah residents gear up for games

THEY may not be Olympians – or even triathletes – but the determination to succeed amongst seniors at Mercy Place Mandurah can’t be disputed.

Ten residents at the not-for-profit home have formed a team to compete in the 2016 LiveLighter Aged Care Games in October, and training is in full swing, with skittles and hockey at the top of the list.

During the annual event, which is held across WA, dozens of teams from aged care homes compete to gain the highest score for a chance of winning the perpetual trophy.

Mercy Place Mandurah service manager Christina Venables said the games were an opportunity for residents to experience being part of a sporting team again, while enjoying social interaction and an element of competition.

“Our team is practicing regularly and their competitive spirit is very much alive and well,” she said.

“These games give our residents a significant goal to be a little more active every day so as well as it being great fun, taking part in this event also contributes to them enjoying a healthier lifestyle.”

The team will compete for the title on Tuesday, October 11, with events on the day including skittles, sit down hockey, leaderball, quoits and a bean bag toss.

The event was first launched by the Seniors Recreation Council of WA in 2003, which established the Games to provide an opportunity for people in residential care to experience team participation and light competition through adapted games in a community recreation facility.

Since then, the Seniors Recreation Council has developed strong working alliances to present the games with the Department of Sport and Recreation of WA, Healthway, Heart Foundation, Department of Local Government and Communities and various Local Governments.