Orillia's John Winchester exemplifies the term ‘active senior’ in every conceivable way.
Not only is the 60-year-old involved and active in a myriad of sports, but he is also active in his community, in politics, in volunteerism, and part-time work as well.
Winchester grew up in St. Thomas and went to Western University where he majored in history. He then went to the University of Windsor, where he received his Bachelor of Education.
In 1986, he moved up to this neck of the woods and taught with the Simcoe County District School Board for 30 years, retiring in 2016. He has been married to Janice for 29 years, and they have two daughters, Jessica, 20, and Jacqueline, 16. They also have a family pooch, Jupiter.
“I've been able to keep active through a combination of good genes, good luck (usually avoiding serious injuries), and good athletes I've coached over the past 35 years,” Winchester said.
“Like most kids growing up in the 60s and 70s, I spent a lot of time outside and was involved mostly in team sports (baseball, hockey, football, curling) but also enjoyed golf and cycling," Winchester explained.
"Becoming a teacher in 1986 provided opportunities to coach and further incentives to stay in shape (part of my timetable for a few years involved teaching physical and health education)," he said.
Winchester also cites his dad, Dawson, as a big influence in continuing to be active.
“Running didn't become part of my routine until around the time I started teaching, partly inspired by my late father Dawson, who had begun running 10K races a few years earlier, when he was in his early 50s, as part of the St. Thomas Striders. His goal was to 'run his age’ (in minutes) for a 10K race.”
He did just that.
“Within a few years he was able to accomplish that and continued to improve his times as he got older. By the time he was in his early 60s, he was running races in the high 40s, often winning his age category," said Winchester. "By no means was he an elite runner, but he'd made great strides in only a few years and maintained that into his late 60s.”
These days, Winchester remains physically active by running, cross country skiing, golfing, cycling, and playing baseball and hockey. This year, Winchester is coaching at Hardwood Ski & Bike alongside his younger daughter, Jacqueline.
He enjoys running in competitions, having competed in the 2018 Canada 55+ Games in New Brunswick, and he has plans to compete in the 2022 Games in Kamloops, B.C.
“I’m planning on taking my daughters along as my cheering section and to set an example for them of how to stay active beyond retirement,” said Winchester. “And I'm sure they'll be impressed with how many athletes, much older than I am, excel in a wide variety of sports! Also looking forward to renewing friendships formed four years earlier in Saint John with other athletes, aged 55 plus, from across Canada.”
Winchester stays active in his community, as well. He has helped organize the Park Street Collegiate Institute's 40th and 50th reunions, and is also helping with the 60 plus 1 reunion. He taught at the school for more than two decades.
He is active in all levels of election campaigns in the area; he volunteers as a driver for Mariposa Folk Festival; and he works with the Orillia 4 Democracy advocacy group. As well, Winchester referees flag football and coaches other youth sports, as he is needed.
Winchester also volunteers with Innisdale’s Global Perspectives Program. He explained, “This program allows me to travel to Ottawa, Montreal, and Quebec City with outstanding students and staff from Zweibrucken, Germany, annually.”
Winchester keeps his father’s memory alive by organizing an annual golf tournament in his memory.
“Organizing the JDW Memorial Golf Tournament, in memory of Dad who passed away from cancer in 2017, is not only a cathartic activity but also a great opportunity to raise money for cancer research: over $3,000 in the 2018 and 2019 tournaments,” enthused Winchester.
He continued, “It was cancelled in the 2020 and 2021 editions due to COVID, but the third Annual JDW is booked for June 12, 2022, in Port Stanley, Ontario.”
In 2021, this active senior calculated that he ran, cycled, and skied 1113.59 miles, which, as he pointed out, is the distance from here to Disney’s Magic Kingdom, in Orlando, Florida.
Winchester’s advice for staying active? “Set short-term and long-term goals, no matter what the activities. Keep yourself busy, and always have something to look forward to. Give back to your community. That's what makes Orillia such a great place to live and work.”
Here’s hoping we can all continue to be active and engaged, and heed the example set by John Winchester.
