No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeTopicsHealthGolden Games challenge stereotypes about aging

Golden Games challenge stereotypes about aging

Adults over 60 are putting their skills to the test all over Costa Rica with the Juegos Dorados, or Golden Games. Participants are not only showing that they too can be competitive, but also challenging the stereotype of the older person as someone who is feeble, incapacitated, or content to sit in a chair all day – which is exactly what this national program hopes to prevent.

The Games, sponsored by the Costa Rican Institute for Sports and Recreation (ICODER) and the Social Security System, or Caja, are one aspect of a broader senior citizen wellness program that includes trips to swimming pools, aerobics, sports, dancing, writing poetry, learning to use new technology, and getting out and making new friends, all with the goal of helping older adults live healthy and active lives. Weekly meetings offer physical and mental stimulation through activities, field trips, classes and just plain fun; nutritious snacks and lunches are served to encourage a healthy diet.

The Golden Games – now in their 17th year, according to the Caja website – introduce competition and team spirit into the mix. At a time when adults over 60 may be retired from the work force, but are taking on jobs around their towns and barrios, these games are a way to show off to the public the “new older adult” and to give senior citizens a chance to show their stuff.

With the finals coming up in November, community groups are meeting for regional games in halls and gymnasiums to practice and get in shape. These sports may be less vigorous than those practiced at the high-school level, but still take steady nerves and concentration. They include miniature golf, ring toss with hoops and traffic cones, basketball with the basket at half mast, dominoes, dancing, and a half kilometer hike, plus activities such as arts and crafts and photography.

At the recent regional playoffs held in Quebradas de Alajuela, 400 older adults met and shared the competitive spirit and enthusiasm of any sporting event. Colorful T-shirts, some bearing slogas like Hilo de Plata  (silver thread) and Ancianos de Atenas (old folks of Atenas) identified the groups. There were a few canes seen among the crowd. At 8 a.m. a long line set off hiking the highway from the church to the Salón Comunal or community hall. A Red Cross ambulance followed along, just in case.

The action started off with all 400 in a circle for aerobic exercises and dancing, just to get warmed up. Even the few with canes or walkers joined in, and one man hitched his cane to his belt so that he could dance with a partner. Then an over-sixty folk dance troupe from Alajuela proved that handsome is also an adjective that befits the older generation.

A dance competition, penalty kick faceoff, basketball, hoop-tossing, bowling and other sports had the home teams cheering on. Prizes were surprises brought by the twelve participating groups.

Winners from the regional tournaments will compete at the national games at Nov. 6 at the fairgrounds in Palmares. Activities are open to everyone over 60, including foreigners, and the finals are open for visitors.

For more information, check with your local health clinic (EBAIS) or call 2539-0053, 2339-0052 or 2530-0954.

Trending Now

Costa Rica’s Eyelash Viper Snake Is One of the Most Beautiful

There are at least 141 different species of snakes in Costa Rica. With that large number of species packed into such a tiny nation,...

2025 Gold Cup: Honduras Advances After Dramatic Shootout, Mexico Ends Goal Drought

Honduras, with a surprising and dramatic penalty shootout victory over Panama, and Mexico, with a lackluster win against Saudi Arabia, advanced Saturday to the...

Costa Rica Green Hotels Lead Global Sustainable Tourism

Costa Rica’s reputation as a leader in sustainable tourism grows stronger every year, with our green hotels setting a high bar for eco-conscious hospitality...

Climate Change in Costa Rica Devastates Coffee Farms in Los Santos

In Costa Rica’s Los Santos region, famous for producing nearly half the country’s coffee, farmers are reeling from heavy losses driven by wild weather....

Costa Rica and Panama Seek Gold Cup Glory Against North American Giants

With no Caribbean teams advancing, a Central American contingent made up of Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, and Guatemala heads into the quarterfinals of the...

Hondurans March to Mark 2009 Coup as Election Battle Heats Up

Thousands of government supporters marched Saturday in the capital of Honduras to commemorate the anniversary of the 2009 coup that ousted then-leftist President Manuel...
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica