Gold Coast and Tweed athletes prepare for GemLife Games
Athletes aged 50 to 80 will compete in the GemLife Games next month at Palmwoods.
What’s happening?
The third annual GemLife Games will take place on September 11 and 12 at GemLife Palmwoods on the Sunshine Coast.
More than 740 athletes, volunteers and spectators in their 50s to 80s will come together for two days of sporting competition. A 96-strong contingent is travelling from the Gold Coast and Tweed.
Among them is 60-year-old Candy Hardy, a former national swimmer from GemLife Tweed Waters, who is taking training inspiration from Olympic swimming gold medallist Cameron McEvoy. Candy will compete in freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and table tennis.
Pimpama residents Guy and Cathy Scruton, from GemLife Gold Coast, will also compete. Guy has chosen eight-ball pool, while Cathy is preparing for ten-pin bowling and swimming.
Why it matters
The GemLife Games are designed for athletes over 50, whether they are lifelong competitors, social players, or those trying something new. It highlights fitness, fun and friendship, while encouraging older Australians to stay active and healthy.
Local Impact
Residents from the Gold Coast and Tweed are strongly represented. Candy Hardy has her sights set on a personal best, cutting her 25-metre swim time to 17 seconds and aiming for 15. She said, “I’m taking the rule of thumb from Cameron McEvoy who, because he’s older, does minimal in the water and makes training all about speed, so I’m all about speed too.”
Guy and Cathy Scruton are excited for their first GemLife Games since moving to Pimpama last year. Cathy said, “The last time I did ten-pin bowling in a league was in 1984, and I’ve only done it a handful of times as a social thing since then. I like to be competitive but I’m happy to have a go at anything, and I think that’s what’s really important.”
Guy, who has had two knee replacements and a hip replacement, said pool was the best fit for him this year. “Pool is not something I’ve ever done competitively, but more than winning I’m looking forward to the social interaction and meeting other likeminded people,” he said.
By the numbers
More than 740 athletes, volunteers and spectators will take part in 2024.
A 96-member team is travelling from the Gold Coast and Tweed.
Eight sports will be contested: lawn bowls, pickleball, ten-pin bowling, tennis, table tennis, eight-ball pool, virtual golf and swimming.
Zoom In
Candy has been training daily, both in the gym and in the pool, determined to improve on her 2023 performance. “I’m in for a personal best this year,” she said. “I went to Europe before the last Games, so didn’t have much time to prepare. This year I’m going the whole hog and am in the gym and swimming most days.”
She is also sharpening her table tennis skills with her partner Beth. “We’re not experts, but we’re giving it everything we have to be competitive. It is for fun, but everyone has a competitive streak at the end of the day and still likes to win. The Games gives us a goal and gets people together for conversations they normally wouldn’t have, while keeping us active. They say move it or lose it, so the more we move it the better.”
Zoom Out
The GemLife Games is an initiative of over-50s lifestyle developer GemLife, drawing participants from Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. GemLife Managing Director and Group CEO Adrian Puljich said the Games had become legendary across its communities.
“That’s what it is all about; encouraging over 50s to stay active and healthy, try new things, set new goals, and come together in a fun, supportive environment,” he said.
“In the lead up to the Games, all our facilities, including our lawn bowls greens, pickleball and tennis courts, and swimming pools, are buzzing with residents training for the big day. Some pick up a new sport for the first time just to compete. While lawn bowls remains ever popular, it’s exciting to see newer sports like pickleball among the most hotly contested. It’s also incredibly rewarding to see the new friendships formed, from residents opening their homes to billet athletes travelling for the competition to cheering each other from the sidelines.”
What to look for next
The GemLife Games will continue the tradition of celebrating sport, health and community for athletes aged over 50.
With participation growing every year, the event is set to remain a highlight for GemLife residents across Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria.