2 . Joy Chapman,70, retired from work in 2018 but decided she’d never become a “boring” granny. She joined local gym and got herself a hard workout routine which sees her in the gym every day for two and a half hours. She said, “I was afraid of turning 70, but I don’t feel my age at all.”

As her confidence in the gym improved, she hardly spent a day without going to the gym. “When I first started, I would come home feeling tired,” she said. “Every muscle ached, but as I progressed, my fitness levels improved and I got better. I would never have believed in 100 years that I would love the gym so much.”

Joy said, “Working out and staying fit stops things from getting me down.” The granny has been longing for living since losing her husband in 2011, when he was just 58—making Joy realize life is valuable. She said, “My husband died very young and very quickly. He became ill in February, was diagnosed (诊断) in March and died on April 22. No one could believe it. Everybody was shocked at his death. When he died, it made me think deeply of my life and I am quite a confident and strong person as a result.”

Every day when she does her workouts, Joy meets up with a group of pals who help keep her young. She said, “I’ve made brilliant friends. As soon as I step in the gym, there is friendly humour with the receptionists, the trainers, the cleaner-everyone. They all think I’m mad, but in a nice way. I’m the fittest granny in the town. I’d advise other people in later life not to be scared by the gym. Give it a go, because it’s just great.”

3 . The Davis Stampede is a long-standing tradition with running and walking. The event includes 5km, 10km, and half marathon routes, which are loop (环形) courses that travel along both roadways and Davis’ tree-lined greenbelts.

Entry to the event includes a short-sleeve T-shirt, a finisher medal, timing and post-race refreshments (点心). Experienced pacers will lead pace groups in the half marathon for goal finish times from 1:30, 1:35, 1:40, 2:55 to 3:00. They can help you reach your goal time, set a new personal best record and have a great race.

A free kids’ fun run is offered to kids aged 13 and under. Both a 1/4-mile course and a 1/2-mile course are offered. The kids’ runs start at 10:30.

Date: Sunday, December 17, 2023

Location: Playfields Park, South Davis

Distance: 5km, 10km, half marathon, kids’ run.

Post-race email: Please read out post-race email (sent to all registered athletes on Sunday, December 17) here.

Photos: Available here

Status of medals: All medals have been distributed to Fleet Feet’s as indicated in the above email, or shipped (based on the county of residence). You can view our list of shipped medals and the shipping date in the email. For those whose medals were shipped, if your medal hasn’t arrived, contact us so that we can track it.

4 . According to a large study of activity levels and arthritis (关节炎) pain, there seems to be no link between the amount of exercise people do and whether they develop painful osteoarthritis in their knees. But the research couldn’t rule out that high-impact forms of exercise like running bring on the condition.

Osteoarthritis is more common as people get older and is sometimes called a “wear and tear” condition. Arthritic knees often have obvious damage to their cartilage which covers and protects the ends of bones.

Earlier studies have found conflicting (矛盾的) results on whether exercise can make arthritis more likely. So Lucy Gates at the University of Southampton in the UK and her colleagues joined together the results of six such studies, which over 5,000 people took part in who firstly had no knee pain or other sign of arthritis.

At the beginning, people were asked about how much exercise they did, including playing sports, walking and cycling. They recorded the general time spent exercising each week, and their activities were graded by their metabolic equivalent, or MET (代谢当量) scores, a standard way of dividing activities into different types according to how much they raise a person’s metabolic rate.

At the end of the studies, which lasted from five to twelve years, people were also asked if they had developed knee pain or arthritis. The probability of developing arthritis wasn’t associated with activity levels, either by how much time people spent exercising each week or by their total time and MET scores.

“There’s more work to be done on telling apart risk and different types of activity,” says Gates. “The next step is to figure out how different weight-bearing activities might change things. We can’t say there’s no relationship there,” says team member Thomas Perry at the University of Oxford.

5 . The design of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic torch (火炬) was shown on July 25, marking almost a year until the opening ceremony (典礼) of the Paris Olympic Games.

The torch, measuring 70 centimeters and weighing 3.3 pounds, is made with lightweight radiant steel and is known for its champagne color, a color of French white wine.

Mathieu Lehanneur, the designer of the torch said that he drew inspiration from three Paris 2024 symbols-equality, water and   peacefulness. Equality is shown by perfect balance. Peacefulness is shown by the gentleness of the curves. The lower half features a relief pattern that copies the movement of the River Seine, along which the opening ceremony will be held.

It will be the first torch in the history of the Games to be used for both the Olympics and Paralympics. Past designs have shared similarities but are different in shape and color. This is part of the organizing committee’s plan to “build bridges between the Olympic and Paralympic Games”, Paris 2024’s president Tony Estanguet said in a statement.

Equality means putting the same ambition into organising the Paralympic Games as the Olympic Games. Following on from the medals to the mascots, the Olympic and Paralympic Games will share the same torch design.

Equality in the Paris 2024 project is also reflected in the strong promise to equality in the Olympic Games: For the first time in the history of the Games, as many women as men will take part in the competitions. Reflecting this desire for peace, the torch, with its curves and rounded lines, is filled with   gentleness. The design of the torch delivers generosity and unity.

“Such a project is a dream for a designer, because it’s a project that connects something symbolic and technical in one, for a big moment,” Lehanneur said.

7 . Some Winter Activities

Winter activities are underestimated (低估). The days may be shorter, but the list of fun activities isn’t. Don’t let the winter blues take over.     1    

Finding your favourite.     2     Nobody likes cardio (有氧运动) for a long time, but signing up for an adult sports team, or taking a yoga class on the weekend can be a fun way to break up the boredom of going to the gym. Recreational (娱乐的) sports are also a great way to meet new people.

Walking on snow.     3     Walking with snowshoes is friendly to beginners, and suitable for kids and seniors alike. You can buy a set for under $100 or rent some for the afternoon. Take a friend or walk alone to enjoy the peacefulness of the outdoors in winter.

Skiing. Those that love it really love it. Hitting the ski hills is an old wintertime tradition. It gets you outside, boosts your mood, and serves as a core workout. You don’t need the latest gear (设备) to be able to have fun.     4     If you’re feeling tired of too much indoor time, get your heart pumping at a nearby ski hill.

    5     Taking an online class, or picking up an instrument for the first time, can be incredibly rewarding. Expanding your professional skill can do wonders for your future job prospects. It may take a little planning, but consider learning something new this season.

8 . Trainers and parents saw children play sports at a young age and then saw them become professional. Many correlated the training to success. Competitive sports are good for young children because they teach children life skills, provide health benefits, and offer special opportunities.

To begin with, sports teach children life skills. A formal athlete stated, “I played soccer in high school and college and found team sports weren’t just about winning, but also about developing a solid ethic(行为准则), and learning why that’s important.” In short, playing highly competitive sports teaches kids many life skills like teamwork. People will have to use teamwork for the rest of their life, and sports can help them improve that skill. Taking part in sports can help develop a positive attitude towards life, which will help in the long run.

Sports are also good for kids because they provide health benefits. It is healthier for a kid to play a sport competitively than to waste time playing video games all day. Furthermore, a research group of University of California said, “96 percent of the participants(参与者) said they enjoy their sports. They’re all loving life.” That is to say, kids playing highly competitive sports tend to enjoy life instead of doing something else like watching TV.

On the other hand, some people might argue that competitive sports are bad for young children because they are so time-consuming. However, the time spent is not “robbing” kids of their childhood, but offers unique opportunities. Athletes can get success to live their dream life by playing sports. Even though sports are time-consuming, they offer distinctive opportunities.

In conclusion, competitive sports are good for children because they can provide wholesome benefits, create new experiences, and build skills that will last a lifetime.