Page 2 - Prime - January 26, 2020

2 SUNDAY, JANUARY 26, 2020 THE MORNING CALL
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TAKING ACTIVE SENIOR LIVING TO A NEW LEVEL:
RESIDENT IS A 5K-CONTENDER

he Rev.William Ennis wasn’t planning to run just to finish.’ ”
a 5k when he and his wife, Lily, moved into Don’t think this race was just a flash in the pan,
Tlast May. though. Ennis is hooked — and aiming to pare
That came later, when he spotted the training down his time before autumn rolls around.
equipment in one of TheTerrace’s fitness rooms “l am looking forward to more 5Ks around the
and decided, at 87, that it was time to get in shape. Valley, if l can hold up. My biggest fan, son Ron Ennis,
Last year, on Nov. 30, that fitness journey led is helping me in a hundred small ways to prepare
Ennis to Bethlehem’s Historic District, where he be- … l can at least finish the distance, so now I’ll go for
came, at 88, the oldest participant in the city’s 17th speed. I hope to qualify for the Great Pumpkin Run
AnnualTurkeyTrot. He finished the 3.1-mile race in in November at Fountain Park,” he says.
just over 51 minutes (51:14.46, to be exact) — a Meanwhile, Ennis is hitting the gym harder, fo-
good 12 minutes faster than the last race finisher. cused on “pushing the minutes downward ... to 41
It’s quite an achievement for a man who says minutes today … maybe even a high 30 minutes
he was “never a runner,” especially when you by springtime,” he says with a laugh.
consider he did it in under a year. “Running — or “And l am inspired to keep at it by 100-years-
actually jogging — was for me just fun mentally, young Albert Fraind, 94-years-young Harry Hebig,
and grueling physically,” he says. The experience and other exercisers atTerrace,” he says.
was “very revealing of what a 5K race entails.” The retired Lutheran pastor, who served in Al-
Ennis says he prepared by “Eating well, which lentown and BethlehemTownship and was also a ju-
is the easiest part of training at theTerrace,” and venile court volunteer chaplain, clearly likes to keep
regularly using the gym’s treadmills; paying particu- busy.“I am rather a newbie at independent living,
lar attention to protect a troublesome knee so but they appointed me a member of their Resident
that it would hold up for the race. Council, and a mentor for newly arriving folks on
A competitive man by nature — he played ten- the same floor. Just attending the many committees
nis and rowed on a crew team in his youth — he will keep anybody busy here,” Ennis says.
isn’t exactly thrilled with his performance. Although he enjoys the amenities and ca-
“At first, it was shockingly humiliating being maraderie he’s found, it’s not his favorite part of
passed by around 900 runners and joggers, but living there.That, he says, is reserved for a person:
along the second half of the race I began to hear “Lily, my wife. Married 65-plus years and still going
shouts of encouragement to me:‘You’re a winner strong.”

coming

JUNE 2020

A full day of expert speakers
and exhibitors offering services,
products and the latest information
to keep you healthy and vibrant!