How one couple’s curiosity keeps them young
John and Hellen are taking advantage of every minute life has to offer. With the support of the Calgary Fall Prevention Clinic, the only person John has trouble keeping up to is Hellen!
You would never guess that John and Hellen Beamish are 97 years old – or, as we like to say, 97 years young.
The couple, who have been together for almost 75 years, have lived a life full of curiosity and the pursuit of new interests. When we spoke with them, it was a rare moment when they were both sitting down!
Both are active artists who spend their days working on multiple projects that they plan to show at a number of art venues.
John is a woodworker who spends his summer in his woodshop in the garage making finely crafted spoons. In the winter, he takes to his home studio where he carves. Currently he is working on holiday gnomes and Santas. The success of his cherrywood hand carved lanterns created enough demand to bring on partners. His workshop is full of intricately carved pieces with fine details, something he continues to master.
While it wasn’t always woodworking that was John’s main interest, building things has always been something that sparked his curiosity – he has had many hobbies over the years including one that led him to be part of building and captaining dive boats in the Virgin Islands.
After moving to Calgary after retiring, John became curious about cheese and so got a part-time job with Springbank Cheese Company. But it wasn’t long until his passion for the water came calling again and he took the helm as a captain of the S.S. Moyie at Heritage Park. Built as a replica of the original, John says it’s one of the hardest and more physical boats he has captained – especially on a windy day!
An accomplished artist herself, Hellen creates magnificent pieces using fused and slumped glass. She always has a handful of projects on the go at once and is thinking about what will be next.
“Always have a Plan B in your back pocket so that if something doesn’t work out you can just switch,” she said casually.
Hellen runs up and down the stairs from her art room to her cutting room with ease. It’s hard to see Hellen as a 97-year-old woman when she leaves you in the dust.
But staying in motion and exploring her curiosity has made Hellen a Super Ager.
According to Harvard Health, a Super Ager is someone in their 70s, 80s, or beyond who has cognitive and physical function equal to people decades younger than them.
And, like John, Hellen has spent her life pursuing opportunities she was curious about—it’s no wonder she’s a Super Ager!
How the Calgary Fall Prevention Clinic helps John find balance
For John, the support of the Calgary Fall Prevention Clinic was beneficial far beyond his ability to move with confidence again. After experiencing a fall at home, John was referred to the clinic by his son and daughter-in-law and quickly started to benefit from meeting with the clinic team.
He distinctly noticed strengthening in his legs – a direct benefit of their exercise program that helped to build his stability. The ability to meet with the dietitian was also extremely beneficial as John was experiencing some pains related to his stomach.
He had been told he was too high risk for interventional surgery due to his age and needed to find other alternatives that would help with the pain that had been keeping him bed bound.
While John still has pain at times, the high protein diet he was recommended to follow has really helped and contributed to his muscle development.
“He is a lot better now than he was a year ago when he started the program,” recalls Hellen. “He would take micro steps just to get around!”
Now the only person harder to keep up to than John is Hellen!
