XN000022-1981-07-13 — Page 9

MONDAY, JULY 13, 1981

8

SENIOR CITIZENS WHO GET INTO THE SWIM OF THINGS

*****

IT'S NEVER TOO LATE TO LEARN, NOR IT SEEMS, IS ONE EVER TOO OLD TO GET INTO THE SWIM OF THINGS.

THIS CLEARLY IS THE VIEW HELD BY SOME 30 ELDERLY WOMEN WHO MAKE IT A POINT REGULARLY TO TURN UP FOR AN EARLY MORNING DIP ON TUESDAYS, THURSDAYS AND SATURDAYS AT THE KWUN TONG SWIMMING POOL.

THESE WOMEN, WHOSE AGES RANGE FROM 50 TO 70, ARE MEMBERS OF A SPECIAL SWIMMING COURSE FOR THE ELDERLY ORGANISED BY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT'S RECREATION AND SPORT SERVICE, WHICH HAS BROUGHT NEW VIM AND VIGOUR, AS WELL AS HAPPINESS INTO THE LIFE OF THE PARTICIPANTS.

ONE OF THE MORE SENIOR MEMBERS, 70-YEAR-OLD MRS CHU TSE-TAI, EXCLAIMED EXUBERANTLY WHEN ASKED HOW SHE FELT ABOUT TAKING THE COURSE: +WONDERFUL, I'VE NEVER FELT BETTER FOR AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER.+

+APART FROM BEING ABLE TO SWIM, WHICH I HADN'T BEEN ABLE TO DO BEFORE, I FEEL MUCH HEALTHIER, AND THE QUALITY OF MY LIFE HAS IMPROVED.+

+AND NOW I HAVE GREAT FUN WHEN I GET INTO THE WATER WITH MY GRANDCHILDREN WHEN WE GO TO THE BEACH. BEFORE TAKING THE COURSE,

I COULD ONLY SIT ON THE BEACH AND WATCH, NOW I PARTICIPATE,+ SHE SAID.

THE PURPOSE OF THE COURSE, EXPLAINED MRS WONG LEUNG CHIU-BING, ASSISTANT RECREATION AND SPORT OFFICER, KWUN TONG, IS TO GIVE THE ELDERLY PEOPLE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE FUN FROM SWIMMING AND, AT THE SAME TIME, GIVE THEM SOME IDEA OF SAFETY IN WATER.

WHILE SOME OF THE WOMEN MAY HAVE DONE SOME SWIMMING BEFORE MOST HAD NEVER BEEN IN A SWIMMING POOL ALL THEIR LIVES UNTIL THEY TOOK UP THE COURSE.

+ IT TOOK QUITE A LOT OF PERSUADING AT FIRST FOR SOME OF THEM EVEN TO COME OUT FROM THE CHANGING ROOM IN THE IR SWIM SUITS, + MRS WONG SAID,

THE COURSE ITSELF LASTS FOR FIVE WEEKS. IT IS OPEN TO MEN AND WOMEN BETWEEN 50 AND 73 YEARS OF AGE AND COSTS $15 FOR THE ENTIRE 15 ONE-HOUR SESSIONS. THE RECREATION AND SPORT SERVICE HAS BEEN OFFERING TWO SUCH COURSES EACH SUMMER, SINCE 1979.

19