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FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | AUGUST 2026 67 According to long-time exercise guru and activist Jack LaLanne (RIP): "Longevity favors those who stay active." A longer life means little if you don't have the strength and energy to enjoy it. Movement keeps your heart strong. Strength training preserves muscle and bone. Balance work helps prevent falls. Mobility keeps you independent. These are the habits that allow you to keep doing the things you love. Longevity is not about simply adding years. It's about adding life to those years. You don't need extreme workouts. You need consistent movement — walk daily, lift weights, stretch often, and keep using your body. The people who age best are rarely the ones who did something extraordinary; they are the ones who kept doing the basics. The strongest people I know are the ones who refuse to quit. Strength is not defined by how much weight you can lift. It is defined by your willingness to keep going, to show up when progress feels slow, to keep moving when life gets busy, and to begin again after setbacks. The people who age best are not always the most talented. They are the most consistent and understand that every workout matters, every healthy meal matters, and every decision to continue matters. Jack LaLanne built his legacy on persistence. Day after day. Year after year. No excuses. No shortcuts. No surrender. Real strength belongs to those who keep going long after others have stopped. Stay active my friends, and give yourself the best chance to live longer and live better. Congrats are in order as last month Pete Antoine, Alfred Pina, and I competed in the Pasadena Senior Games, and each earned a gold medal in their age group in the Bench Press competition. In addition, I received two medals in Track and Field and a medal in the Fitness competition. Congrats to all three of us for setting goals and staying active. Contact me at surfergreg@gmail.com or Al Pina at alfredpina1951@ yahoo.com. ~ Greg Messick Gym Club Paddle Up! A Day of Pickleball Fun and Friendly Competition June was highlighted by a fun-for-all event organized by our Pickleball Club steering committee — a skills competition showcasing dinking, paddle control, and ball placement abilities. By using several courts at once, everyone stayed busy rotating between events, with shared snacks and a special treat from Maggie available as desired. With the prime directive of "have fun!" events were as follows: "Lob Mastery" challenged players to lob a tossed ball from the baseline to hit a hula-hoop target on the opposite baseline — tougher than it sounds! Julie McGrath took first place, with Flip Baldwin in second. "How Deep is Your Love" tested serving skills as players tried to land a serve directly on the opposite back line. Randy Bushnell won the event, with Gayle Wardenski finishing second. "Return to Sender" had players returning a ball from the ball machine to hit the opposite back line. Gayle Wardenski claimed first, with Robert Mahan in second. "Defend Your Castle" was an intense dinking competition where players on either side of the net tried to protect two targets in their own kitchen while attempting to hit their opponent's targets — twice. Competition was fierce, ultimately coming down to Robert Mahan and Karen Belcher at the kitchen line. Robert persevered to take the win, with Karen in second. The "Last Person Standing" had all players continuously bouncing a pickleball off their paddles for five minutes — or as long as they could. After a brief rest, survivors faced a new challenge: switching paddle sides with each bounce. Only a handful made it to round two. It quickly came down to Julia Dobos and Robert Mahan, until a small miss-hit by Julia handed Robert the victory. Many thanks to the steering committee and volunteers who organized and ran each contest, and to all who came out to enjoy them! Membership is still open and is a great value at just $25. Anyone interested in learning about pickleball is welcome to come down to the courts (mornings are best) and check it out! Lessons are available for Four Seasons residents new to pickleball on Saturday mornings at 8:30 am with Nancy Hessin, who is ever cheerful, informative, and patient. Come join the fun! ~ Gayle Wardenski, gmew@hotmail.com Pickleball Paddle Up! A Day of Pickleball Fun and Nancy Ginetti, Irma Peterson, Nancy Hessein, David Martin, Bob Mendenhall, and Kelly Vucinic Randy Bushnell, Tim Danson, and Tony Greicius Robert Mahan, Karen Belcher, and Kelly Vucinic

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