Senior athlete still on track for records
- even at age 83
It's not Lembit Saar's Last Chance yet
- he plans to keep on jumping, throwing
SARAH O'DONNELL.
Journal Staff Writer
EDMONTON Dec. 2, 2001
Lembit Saar didn't junp as high or throw the shot as far as other competitors Saturday, but he was one of the stars at the University of Alberta Butterdome.
At age 83, Saar was decades older than almost everyone else taking part in this weekend's annual Last Chance track and field meet.
It's the last opportunity of the year for athletes to break records in their age group, and Saar hoped to make history among 80-85 year olds in the shot put, hammer throw and high jump.
"This little one here, that's a record," Saar said after clearing one metre in the high jump.
It wasn't much, he said modestly. But his spirit impressed the far younger athletes swirling around the track.
Most didn't know the Estonian native, who emigrated to Canada in 1952, only took up these sports competitively in his early '70s while living in Toronto.
"A retired man, I have lots of time," Saar said.
Today, he said, he holds four national records in field sports.
Attinaw Aytenfisu, who was at the Butterdome to watch his daughter Melissa compete in shot put, said he initially thought he was looking at a coach out on the track when he spotted Saar.
"For him to come compete against these younger and bigger guys, he's an inspiration really to everybody," Aytenfisu said.
"It's wonderful to have him there."
Competitors and track meet officials applauded as Saar made it over his 95 centimetres and one metre high-jump attempts, flashing him the thumbs-up sign after he heaved an orange four-kilogram shot almost nine metres.
It was the first time Saar's son, Rein, has watched him compete.
His father moved to Calgary from Toronto in July, and the pair made the day trip to Edmonton together.
While there are far fewer competitors in his age group in Alberta than there are in Ontario, Saar said he plans to be a regular at Alberta events now that he calls Alberta home.
"I want to compete as long as I can."
