Berkeley Vale’s Lauri Badge is a gym junkie, a committed member of Mingara One Fitness, obsessed with aqua aerobics and just turned 97.
And he’s living proof that age is no barrier to getting fit, even when you start at the age of 92.
Hitting the pool at Mingara at least three times a week, mostly four, and the gym twice a week, has seen Badge become somewhat of a “rock star” around the traps, often appearing on the Mingara One Facebook page.
His daughter, Dr Helen Badge Hawke, is an occupational therapist and is thrilled not only with her father’s active lifestyle, but his social one.
“He became a gym junkie at 92 after my mother died with dementia,” she said.
“He cared for her for a long time, and then started looking after himself.
“He went to aqua aerobics two or three times and then got asked out for coffee and cake and that was it, he never looked back.
“He has a great attitude, but he does say you can’t tell people to exercise, you have to do it with them.”
He recently spoke at a social prescribing conference about supporting older people’s exercise engagement where he championed healthy ageing.
“He certainly is not common for a 97 year old,” Badge Hawke said.
“He loves getting likes on Facebook, and he gets lots of mentions on Mingara One’s Facebook page.”
His aqua aerobics buddies celebrated his birthday at the café at Mingara and a few days later he celebrated with his family.
“He gets so much value out of exercising – friends and a sense of belonging,” Badge Hawke said.
“He feels like a rock star – he’s seen and he’s not invisible.”