Mary Gardiner (left), and doubles partner Narda Playfair of Red Deer County, won gold in the 70+ tennis doubles division at the recent Alberta 55+ Summer Games in Brooks. (Supplied)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

alberta 55+ summer games

Red Deer tennis enthusiast encourages others to keep moving

Sep 2, 2023 | 3:16 PM

A Red Deer senior, who recently won a gold medal in tennis, is encouraging others to keep active if possible, even into your golden years.

Mary Gardiner competed at the Alberta 55+ Brooks Newell Summer Games last month, becoming a champion alongside fellow Red Deerian Narda Playfair in the 70+ doubles division.

The Games also included sports and competitions like bocce, cribbage, pickleball, golf, slopitch, swimming, track and field, and others.

Gardiner estimates she’s won 25 medals — several gold — across Alberta and Canada since taking up competitive tennis in the 80s, nearly 40 years ago. It wouldn’t have happened if not for a passion for the game, she admits.

“Tennis simply keeps me moving, and research shows that tennis is one of the best sports for longevity. That’s for three reasons: it’s physical, it’s certainly mental because you need to strategize, and it’s very social,” says Gardiner, a long time member of the Red Deer Tennis Club.

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“I’m a mental health nurse by trade and I’m a big fan of keeping healthy and living a healthy lifestyle. I’ve been lucky to also inherit good joints. The wear and tear on joints can be a problem for many, but I don’t seem to have that problem. I’m just very lucky.”

On top of her medals, she has around 35 trophies from central Alberta competitions over the years. She also curls, swims and cross-country skis, and competed in tennis at the World Masters Games in Edmonton in 2005 and the Tennis Canada Senior Nationals in 2011.

“Our mission at Red Deer Tennis Club is tennis for all, tennis for life,” says Gardiner, a recipient of a Red Deer Women of Excellence Award in 2013, and a Mayor’s Recognition Award. “I seem to often find myself playing with people who are a lot younger too, and I’m still able to keep up.”

Gardiner, a fan of Andre Agassi and Roger Federer, says it helps that Red Deer has an excellent tennis venue, with 12 courts downtown — four inside the white bubble and eight outdoors next to it.

More information about the club is at reddeertennis.com.

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