A team of 52 senior athletes from Waltham Forest has come second at the 20th annual Better Club Games, beating 22 other teams at the event known as the "Older Persons' Olympics".
The Club Games, which brings together athletes aged 60 and over, took place on Wednesday 21 October at the Copper Box Arena in the Olympic Park. More than 1,000 competitors and spectators attended, and the day was hosted by singer and presenter Cheryl Baker.
Twenty-three teams from Better leisure centres across the UK competed in eleven sports for the Club Games trophy: timed cycle, walking football, walking netball, pickleball, short mat bowls, badminton, short tennis, table tennis, timed swimming, darts and dominoes.
As well as finishing second overall, the Waltham Forest team came second in short tennis, third in short mat bowls and third in walking football.
For Esther Torres, 62, who plays short tennis, the friendships matter as much as the medals. "I play short tennis twice a week as it's great for my mental health and the people I play with are now like family," she said. "The Club Games event was an amazing day and so much fun."
Daniel Bank, GLL Waltham Forest community sports manager, said: "We know that active ageing helps promote good physical and mental health and also combats social isolation, so it was great to see so many local senior athletes taking part in this year's Club Games.
"The event is a great opportunity for older people to come together in a friendly environment, play some competitive sport and prove that you are never too old to have some rivalrous fun!"
Nadeem Butt, Waltham Forest Council's sport and leisure manager, added: "The Club Games was an amazing event. It was fantastic to see such a wide variety of people from all different backgrounds competing in a range of sports and enjoying it so much."
