You’re Never Too Old to Be Super Awesome™

It’s fun writing about Super Awesome Kids™ because it’s exciting to see how “the youths” are making the world a better place—and it gives me hope for a better future.

But what about the “oldie but goodies”? It’s time to celebrate the amazing elderly folks who have reached their centenarian years (or just about) and who have shown that you’re never too old to have fun—or too old to be Super Awesome™.

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Captain Sir Tom Moore and The Seniors He Inspired.

When I first wrote about Captain Tom Moore, he was a 99-year-old veteran who hoped to raise £1,000 for NHS Charities Together by walking 100 laps in his garden before he turned 100 on April 30, 2020. By the time his JustGiving campaign came to an end, he had raised nearly £32.8 MILLION (more than $42 million US)! In acknowledgement of—and gratitude for—his incredible feat, the Captain was promoted to honorary Colonel on his 100th birthday. He was also recommended for a knighthood, which finally took place in July when he was officially knighted by 94-year-old Queen Elizabeth II. The sword provided some social distancing (although it wasn’t quite six feet long).

In the past five months, Captain Tom has inspired millions of people around the world, not just to donate to NHS Charities Together, but to start their own campaigns to raise funds for causes important to them. Here are some of the fellow seniors he inspired:

• In St. Petersburg, Russia, 98-year-old veteran Zinaida Korneva shared stories from her time serving in WWII, with a goal of raising 3,000,000 rubles to support Russian doctors affected by COVID-19. She also knitted socks for “Grandpa Tom”, to keep him warm.
• 100-year-old Dabirul Islam Choudhury started walking laps of his 80m garden on April 26 to raise money for the Ramadan Family Commitment Covid-19 crisis initiative to help families in the U.K. and Bangladesh. The Muslim man, who walked while fasting for the month of Ramadan, raised more than £228,000.
• In Canada, 101-year-old Joy Saunders of Nova Scotia aims to walk 102 laps of her 0.8km walkway before her 102nd birthday in October. She is raising funds for the Victorian Order of Nurses and has raised more than $69,000 so far.

Captain Sir Tom Moore’s legacy continues through The Captain Tom Foundation, which gives to charities with a focus on combating loneliness, supporting hospices, and helping those facing bereavement. Just as Captain Moore raised funds on behalf of NHS Charities Together, new fundraisers can now choose The Captain Tom Foundation as their JustGiving cause.

More Super Awesome Seniors™

• Handy Grandpa Makes Masks: Prior to the pandemic, 89-year-old Dan Willkens of Maryland had never used a sewing machine, and when he found out that there was a desperate need for PPE, he wanted to help out by making masks. With guidance from his daughter Diane, he learned to use a sewing machine and got to work. By the time Willkens turned 90, he had made and donated more than 300 masks, and his community rallied to celebrate his generosity—and his birthday!—with a car parade.
• Former ‘Rosie the Riveter’ Makes Masks, Too: During World War II, Mae Krier worked in a Boeing factory making warplanes as a teenage girl, and now the 94-year-old Pennsylvanian makes masks. For years she has made red bandanas with white polka dots in tribute to the iconic Rosie the Riveter, and during the pandemic she switched to making masks out of the same material. She has long-been an advocate for getting Rosies the recognition they deserve, from a National Rosie the Riveter Day to the Congressional Gold Medal. Keep up with Mae Krier’s efforts on Facebook @Honor Rosie—due to high-demand, she and her seamstress team are not currently taking requests for more masks. But keep an eye out for Rosie fans already sporting the iconic look!
• Centenarian Goes Big on Life (and Small on Tattoo): Michigan’s Dorothy Pollack couldn’t go to her favorite bar for a hamburger and beer on her birthday, so instead she decided to cross a couple of things off her bucket list. The 103-year-old got her very first tattoo—a charming little green frog on her left forearm—and then she hopped on the back of a Harley-Davidson for her very first motorcycle ride. Clearly, you’re never too old to have fun or get inked. But I’m not sure about the age-limit for her next bucket list item: skydiving.
• Young Grandparents are Pretty Great, Too: These grandparents may have decades to go before they hit the big 100, but they’re definitely on track for Super Awesome Seniors™ status. In Tennessee, grandma Gayle Parkhurst has taken her cooking classes virtual to help her granddaughters learn to cook in her “Cooking with Cuties” FaceTime series. In Australia, grandma Janice McKay, clinical psychologist by trade, wrote a children’s book to help explain the pandemic to kids ages 5 to 11. (The book, Villony Virus Comes to Town, is available online.) In Philadelphia, grandparents Amy and Jose Pires are painting rocks with inspiring messages for park-goers to find, and grandparents everywhere are keeping their grandkids entertained (safely!) during the pandemic with self-run Grandparent Camps.