Jason Masters, Anne Massey, Stephen Turner, Elaine Scott: Cairns’ fittest senior sport players
Cairns senior athletes are living proof that you can stay active, laugh with your mates and enjoy the sport you love – no matter how old you are. See who made the bumper list, and watch their videos.
Cairns
Don't miss out on the headlines from Cairns. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Cairns senior athletes are living proof that you can stay active, laugh with your mates and enjoy the sport you love – no matter how old you are.
This was repeated by all the senior athletes who feature in this list; ranging from 40 to 90-something. They’re all convinced their love of physical activity is the key to happiness.
According to some of them, their secret behind their passion is having a go even if you're not a sporting superstar.
These are some of the most inspiring masters and senior sporting personalities living in Cairns.
Kendo – Katsumi Kuramochi, 70
Cairns Kendo Club’s head coach (aka sensei), Katsumi Kuramochi has been practising the modern Japanese martial art which involves bamboo swords and protective armour, for more than 57 years.
Holding Kendo level Kyoshi 7 Dan, he is one of the highest-level Dan grade people in Australia.
“I was Australian National Champion once and recently, I went to Adelaide for the Australian Masters Games and became a winner in the Kendo over 60s division,” Kuramochi said.
“I have participated many times in national and state level Kendo competitions and grading as a judge throughout the years.
“I’ve been living in Australia for 30 years and moved to Cairns in 2001 where I established Cairns Kendo Club that year and I have been teaching children to adults and produced many strong Kendo-ka.”
He also holds senior ranks in other martial arts he teaches including, Iaido (sword drawing), Level: Renshi (6 Dan) and 5th Dan in Jodo (stick fighting).
His proteges have included a Kendo champion at the Kyu level National Championships.
“A three girl team won third place at the Asian zoon Kendo Championships in Hong Kong, and two girls who became the national Kendo representatives of Australia and went to Seoul, Korea at the World Kendo Championships and they got the third place.”
Kuramochi said Kendo allows practitioners to build physical strength and whatever their age and understand their opponent’s strategies during training.
“There are many benefits to Kendo practising, but most beneficial thing is that you can enjoy this art throughout your life and keep active,” he said.
“Kendo armour (Kendo Bogu) means there are very rare serious injuries that happen and are secure even compared with other sports.”
Squash – Eunice Neale, 82
When Eunice Neale arrives for her Tuesday squash session, this effervescent dynamo looks as though she stepped from the 1920s in a stylish orange and peach frock with a matching bandeau.
But there’s nothing vintage about her serve, which her friends reckon rockets across the court.
Neale said she loved to play twice a week and attributed the activity to staying agile and strong.
“When I was 34 I gave up tennis for squash as it meant I could stay fit in half the time,” she said.
“Also you are not impacted by the weather and it’s very social.”
Neale said she knew contemporaries who did not stay active and who were now unable to get around as easily as they wished.
“It’s given me fitness and health for my body and mind,” she said.
“I love it.”
Her friends and teammates agreed.
Elva Kadic, 70, said she had been playing squash for 40 years.
“I love this game,” she said.
“I play twice a week and I also love the social side.”
Maureen Fry, 66, said she had been playing for around 12 years.
“The social side of the game is great,” she said.
“Social squash is good fun.”
Youngster Sue Hiles, 60, had been playing for more than 29 years and said the game offered a chance to keep active and meet new people.
“You always feel better for playing a game,” she said.
“It’s so much fun you don’t realise you are exercising.”
Swimming – Kevin Murgatroyd, 91
One of the Far North’s senior aqua-athletes, Kevin Murgatroyd has been part of the Cairns Mudcrabs for 19 years.
“I like to get in the water at least twice a week,” he said.
“After I learned to swim as a kid I kept on doing it and never had any coaching, back then we had to teach ourselves.
“During the war (World War II) we swam in the oceans or the creeks in Townsville.”
Murgatroyd said nearly 20 years ago he decided to improve his swimming technique.
“I felt I should join a club, so at 72 I received my first swimming instruction,” he said.
“I find it relaxing, refreshing and definitely swimming helps your mental health.
“When you follow the black line in the pool your mind is free, there’s nothing interfering with your thinking.”
Badminton – John Spannenburg, 59
Playing badminton seven to eight hours a week keeps one Cairns resident happy and healthy – and he’s encouraging others to pick up a racquet and have a go.
For civil engineer John Spannenburg, 59, playing social badminton on Tuesday and Friday nights and Sundays is one of the highlights of his week.
As president of the Cairns Badminton Club, Spannenburg said the activity was a perfect combination of all the element required to have a good time.
“I’ve been playing for about six years, I did play at Cairns High School then squash for a while but social badminton is a great game, it’s about having a laugh afterwards, getting some exercise and having fun,” he said.
“While social badminton can get very competitive, we’re not playing for sheep stations.
“We welcome people of all ages to come along and have a go.”
Bowls – Terry McAlary, 64
Lawn bowls may have a staid reputation but for members of the Brothers Edmonton Ladies Bowls Club, their approach is anything but.
Champion player Terry McAlary, 64 said bowls is a sport which features a good mix of competitive, active and social elements.
A very fit bowls athlete who exudes calm on and off the green, McAlary, said she relished the competitive aspect of the game.
“With bowls partner Faye Clarke, we won the 2022 Australian Open Over 60s Ladies Pairs at Broadbeach in June,” she said.
“In May I won my first State Titles in the Ladies Triples and in August my husband Tony and I won for the first time our Zone State Mixed Pairs.”
Triathlete Anne Massey, 68
When Anne Massey turned 50 in New York, her personal trainer issued her with a challenge to run a half-marathon.
“I was a real Jane Fonda girl and did the gym, step and spin classes, I didn’t run at all,” she said.
“I fell on the floor laughing when my trainer said I should train for a half marathon but she started me running 500m, then 1km then built it up and this opened up my eyes to possibilities.
“Within eight months I was running 21km.”
For Massey, this led to taking up cycling and swimming and now the Cairns resident is an inspiring example learning a new physical activity at an age when many people choose to slow down.
“I’m someone who enjoys being very physically fit because mental wellness and physical fitness are intrinsically linked, so six days a week I incorporate running, swimming and cycling.”
Massey said she was inspired to take on something that may initially scare her but felt amazing when she has succeeded.
“This year I cycled in the Cardiac Challenge, it was amazing to be part of a team working together,” she said.
“I do encourage everybody to start off and have a go and remember you don’t go from doing nothing to running a marathon right away.”
Learning to swim at age 57 was exhilarating, Massey said.
“On my fitness journey I have made such wonderful friends,” she said.
“You build a different social connection when you build physical fitness which impacts on your mental wellness, it’s been unbelievably wonderful.”
Soccer – Jason Masters, 47
A senior Stratford Dolphins player and coach, Jason Masters said he loved to run out onto the ground with his mates because there's nothing as good as playing football.
But at 44, Masters knows while he’s older than lots of other athletes, he’s determined to keep playing the “beautiful game” for as long as he can lace up his boots and have a kick.
“I really enjoy playing football and it’s great to help the younger players coming through,” he said.
“Being a mentor is very enjoyable, it’s good to be there for the kids.
“And of course, I love playing and catching up with my mates.”
Masters said the benefits of getting your blood pumping out in the fresh air meant you were able to refresh your mind too.
“Your physical and mental health are very important things,” he said.
“And it’s important to take time and have fun kicking the ball around.”
In 2015 Masters was named the Football Queensland Far North 2nd Division Coach of the Year.
Cricket – Craig D. McGrath, 49
When it comes to being close to the cricket action, there’s no doubt a wicketkeeper is in the nosebleed section.
For Mulgrave Cricket Association wicketkeeper Craig D McGrath, pulling on the gloves means a lot more than simply staying active for the fourth grade player.
“I’ve been playing cricket since I was 17 and now after some time off for injury I’m making a comeback,” he said with a smile.
“I always wanted to be Geoff Lawson or Glenn McGrath (no relation), I used to bowl, now I wicketkeep.”
McGrath said training and playing with younger teammates keeps his skills sharp.
“As you get older the grades you play in get lower,” he joked.
“But I enjoy bringing through the juniors and I try to play smarter not harder.”
McGrath said the camaraderie of cricket means that age or ability does not matter.
“Join a club and you have 10 mates to play with every week,” he said.
“I’ve followed cricket since I was growing up in Cairns, loved the statistics and learning something new.
“Cricket is so much more than physical, I love it and plan to keep my toes in the water with masters games and hope to expand into the veterans.”
Rugby League – Thelma Toby, 46
When veteran Edmonton Storm Women’s player Thelma Toby runs down the field, you don’t get in her way unless you really mean business.
For Toby, 46, it’s all about that magic combination of teamwork, physicality and mental preparedness which adds up to a wonderful time whether you win, lose or draw (but preferably win).
Toby grew up playing touch footy at Charters Towers, is now a force of nature at Edmonton Storm Women who won the 2022 grand final when they soundly defeated the Kangaroos Women 28 to 16.
“The Storm Women’s squad are my sporting sisters,” she said.
“Playing league is fantastic.”
Toby said training and game day were some of the highlights of her week.
And she has no plans to retire while she retains her mental and physical fitness.
“My five kids have all played rugby league and I have had the privilege of running out with my daughter,” she said.
“I like to help the younger ones and mentor hem through our team we have a couple of younger girls be the best they can.
“When anyone says they are too old to play sport I tell them I’m 46 and they can do it too.
“Every year I say I’ll hang up my boots but every season I go back and I plan on playing again in 2023.”
Australian rules – Stephen Turner, 54
Lifelong AFL fan and Aussie rules half-forward, Stephen Turner said he loved running onto the ground with his teammates in the Cairns Stingers.
Turner, 54, recently played in the Queensland U55 team at the AFL National Masters Carnival in Adelaide and while they didn’t win, he said the experience was fantastic.
Turner said the secret to playing as you get older is not to worry about what anyone else things and he urged others to have a go.
“There’s a bit of a stigma about masters football from younger blokes who might bow out in their 30s due to work or family commitments but then you get to your early to mid-40s and you realise how fantastic masters footy is because you love football and that’s when they come back,” he said.
“A big part of the joy of staying fit and playing is when the your kids are playing and you start training and coaching them which keeps you fit too.”
Turner said while the games could get very competitive on the ground, as soon as the final siren sounds everyone is mates again.
“It is competitive,” Turner said.
“But the good things about masters it that it is fun and everyone takes the mickey out there, there’s no more egos, everyone is considered equal.”
Netball Umpire – Elaine Scott, 67
An umpire for 37 years, Elaine Scott knows her play from passing to possession.
Scott, 67, originally played netball in the UK before she moved to Australia.
“I played in Baulkham Hills in NSW and on court I was in goal attack and I coached,” the National B level umpire said.
“I really started umpiring when my girls started playing.
“Now I love working in umpire development.”
In fact Scott has spent considerable time and effort in ensuring youngsters keen top get their whistle are able to referrer with confidence.
“Seeing the juniors get their National C umpiring badge is wonderful,” she said.
“I teach anyone from aged 10 to whatever and take anyone who wants to learn.
“Teaching the kids who want to learn is fantastic, it’s about getting them on the court which is a very positive and supportive environment.”
Paddling – Emma Morgan, 53
When Emma Morgan is paddling in her canoe, she says it’s her “happy place”.
For Morgan, 57, an enthusiastic member of the Hekili Outrigger Canoe Club at Yorkeys’s Knob, paddling is a vital element of her life.
“Just the whole energy of the sport is part of who I am,” Moran said.
“I am not religious in church terms, but the ocean is my happy place.
“Everyone we paddle with, it’s like a big family.”
Morgan who paddles in Masters and Senior Masters divisions, takes to the water often,
“I often paddle with my husband, Rhys who is 56,” she said.
“In 2022 we went to the IVF World Va’a Sprint Championships in August.
“There were 28 from North Queensland aged 47 upwards to 67 in London at Dorling Lakes where the Olympic rowing was held and it was absolutely amazing.”
Morgan said it was an incredible experience against “top notch” competition.
“We came second by a bees knee to be beaten by Hawaii,” she said.
“Then in a six person canoe we placed bronze in the tough 250m course with turns which were very technical in ocean canoes and we were stoked.
“In the singles I came fourth in the world, I was so excited.”
Netball – Fiona Weiss, 56
Since she was eight years old, netball has offered Fiona Weiss, 56, the chance to make friends and keep fit.
“I played up until 2018 in regular competitions and did netball in 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2021 at the Masters Games,” she said.
“I always played as a defence goalie.”
Weiss said she played for the Leprechauns then went over to join the Scorchers.
“When I turned 50 I thought I’d retire so took a year off but then decided to keep playing,” Weiss said.
“Season after season, year after year, it’s the social aspect that brings me back to mixing it with everyone on the court as I have made some great friendships through the decades.
“I think Cairns netball is trying to get up a masters competition and I would certainly play if there was an over 45 competition.”
Table Tennis – Paul Uttley, 67
With 40 years experience, Paul Uttley who competes in First Division, said he still gets fired up when it comes to picking up the bat.
“I’ve been playing since I was 18,” he said.
“From when I was very young I have loved this game, I think it’s the adrenaline rush because when it’s played so fast the endorphins kick in and give you a high.”
An Australian Table Tennis Level 2 accredited coach, Mr Uttley said the sport ticked all the health and wellbeing boxes.
“It’s sun-safe and good for your mental health, good for your hand to eye ordination and if you lay two or three times a week it’s good for your muscles,” he said.
“Scientific studies have shown that table tennis can create mental acuity, it’s a low-impact sport and it’s fairly low-cost to play.”
Mr Uttley said the Cairns Table Tennis Club has world-class facilities and welcomes new members of all ages and abilities.
“Cairns can host club, association, state and national level events,” he said.
“We welcome everyone from complete beginners onwards and it’s very social.
“Two days a week on Mondays and Thursday mornings we host social groups for over 50s and the Cairns U3A”.
Mr Uttley said while the club has juniors who play for state and star veteran players, he encouraged anyone with an interest, to “walk in and have a go”.
Cycling – Jeremy White, 54
After a medical condition made regular exercise seem boring, Jeremy White, 54, took up cycling more than six years ago and has never looked back.
“I came into cycling as I have two fused ankles and before I rode I found previous exercise did not float my boat,” Mr White said.
“Now it is so important for me to cycle as it’s a way to manage painful arthritis.
“Before then I was having to go to special pain clinics and my life was on a path which was not exactly brilliant.”
Mr White said from the moment he discovered the benefits of cycling, he was hooked.
“I found a new lease of life that led to me clocking up thousand of kilometres and I have participated in five Cardiac Challenges,” he said.
“Other events I have cycled in include the Around the Bay in Melbourne.”
Mr White said his family have been inspired with his daughters and wife now competing in Ironman events with him.
“It sort of spread and we got in with the triathlon and Ironman 70.3 Jetstar team,” he said.
“My wife is a swimmer, and my two daughters floated the idea tentatively and took it up and are now every competitive,”
Mr White said when he thinks about his health before cycling he’s so happy he jumped on two wheels.
“From over six years ago and being very inactive, cycling has turned my health around,” he said.
Run, Swim, Cycle – Mark Richards, 71
Not content with one sport, Mark Richards divides his time between swimming, cycling and running.
However, Richards said it was all about enjoyment rather than getting onto the podium.
“While I’m a sporting jack-of-all-trades, to be a master of fun would be nice,” he said.
“I’ve been swimming for ages and have been with the Cairns Mud Crabs for around six years who are a fantastic group, so supportive it’s great to get into a bubble with like-minded people.”
The connection with a community is what keeps Richards to the club, although he prefers do the “lone wolf” and run and cycle his road and gravel bikes alone.
“At Mud Crabs you swim a program with a group,” he said.
“A typical session is we get there, listen to the coach, do some stretching, get in the pool to do a warm up, swim the program, do a cool down then afterwards enjoy a morning tea and stand around in our togs Abd towels and have a chat.
“The connection part is as important as the physical exercise, I’m sure its good for mental health.”
Rugby Union – Missy Faaofo, 68
When this dynamo runs onto the ground for the Southside Crusaders, his passion for the game radiates from his heart, mind and soul.
A Reserve Grade Hooker, Missy Faaofo, 68, said along with his love of his family, being able to train every day adds genuine purpose to his life.
“Playing keeps you young, I love the game, I love to run, I like to play football with the young fells and pass the skills on,” he said.
“For me feeling fit, I love to play the game and train.”
This Samoan-born powerhouse who also played in Auckland, said he chose union over league as a simple matter of faith.
“I’ve played rugby league but I go to church on Sunday, so I went back to playing union,” he said.
“I don’t care how big or young the other fella are, I love to get out there.”
Faaofo’s punishing training regimen which includes weightlifting, boxing and running would daunt many half his age.
“I know I am old but my heart keeps beating,” he said.
“I feel for myself I still want one more year to play.
“The next day after a game I feel my heart and my body active, it’s very good”.
Table Tennis – Daryl Sterling, 43
A chance meeting with an elite table tennis player took US-born Darryl Sterling from recreational playing one day a week to training six times a week and ultimately onto the US National Para team.
Sterling said the light bulb went off when he was playing recreational table tennis at university when a former world champion visited to San Diego.
“Stellan Bengtsson he asked me if I wanted rain to play in the Paralympics,” he said.
“I said sure.
“At first I was terrible, I could not move, I could not really hit, it was a struggle”.
Unlike many para athletes, Sterling chooses to play using a crutch rather than a prosthetic leg.
“I use my left crutch and I play right handed,” he said.
“I love that it’s indoors and it really allows people of lots of abilities to play as you can play at a recreational level and then take it up to another level if you want.”
After more than five years in Cairns, Sterling has been a fixture on the state team.
He said the Cairns club facility is world-class.
And he said people need to lower their expectations about taking up a new sport.
“They compare themselves they want to be the elite one per cent of the sport and that’s an unfair thing to do,” he said.
“If you are playing a sport at 70 years then that’s who you’ll be playing against not a 16-year-old.”
Volleyball – Thuy Vu Farmer, 44
Passionate volleyball player Thuy Vu Farmer, has a dynamic serve which she has used to make it on to the podium at many tournaments.
Last October Farmer and her sporting partner won gold at the Great Barrier Reef Challenge Women’s division thanks to their gritty perseverance.
In November Farmer and her partner took out the silver in the Queensland Beach Volleyball Tour Round 4 when it played at the Cairns Esplanade.
Farmer said for her, playing outdoors on the sand beats playing airconditioned indoors any time.
“As a shorter player I prefer beach volleyball,” she said.
“It relies on finesse rather than power.”
Cycling – Gabby Thomasz, 43
The need for speed keeps this Cairns Cycling Club national level masters racer Gabby Thomasz riding at least five times a week.
A self-confessed “late starter” to racing, Thomasz decided to have a go at racing in 2013 and since then she’s clocked up enough medals and records to fill her pool room.
“I’m Dutch so grew up riding everywhere but at 35 I tried track cycling in 2013,” she said.
“I love the speed, it’s so fast you’re so absorbed in the moment there’s no time to think.”
Thomasz regularly races around the country and in April 2022 broke two records at the AusCycling Track Championships.
Thomasz took out a national track championship champion of champions for winning the most overall points.
“When I am out on training rides I am plotting my next effort,” she said.
“I’m always chipping away and doing the best I can.
“Many riders take up cycling later in age and keep going.
“Age does not matter.”
Cycling – Jim Larcombe, 73
Veteran cyclist Jim Larcombe is a demon on two wheels and said the sport has been brilliant for keeping him healthy and happy.
A masters D-Grade racer, Larcombe said it was all about getting the heart racing as fast as his wheels.
“I like track and road and do mostly the shorter criteriums which are held over 30 minutes and three laps,” he said.
“Cycling has been a passion over the years; it’s exercise and camaraderie as the people you meet are fantastic.
“A track series I raced in Tasmania in Davenport in 1970-71 was really good and I’m still in touch with some of the riders from then.”
Larcombe said he’s most proud of holding the record for the oldest cyclist to win a prestigious Far North race which was held 18 years ago.
“I won the Townsville Cup on Wheels in 2005 and I think I’m probably still the oldest winner when I took the title at age 56,” he said.
“I rode all the professional carnivals in A-Grade in the 60s and 70s and I was in the Queensland pro team that went to the state championships at the old Olympic Park Track around 1968.
“In 2021 I rode in the Nationals in the 70 to 75 age division and got silver which was nice.”
Larcombe said he doesn't miss the glory days of riding A-Grade.
“I’m going out the end at D-Grade and that’s OK,” he said.
“I ride every day and do the Cardiac Challenge training rides, do the Wednesday track races at the club and regularly do an hour on the roads around Smithfield.
“I say definitely give it go.”
Cycling – Don Huyser, 67
With more than 55 years in the saddle, Cairns cyclist Don Huyser has no plans on stopping.
“I started cycling in Blackburn when I lived in Melbourne,” he said.
“The best results I have achieved are winning multiple world and state velo titles including gold medals.”
Huyser said the benefits of getting out on the track include a safe environment, an opportunity to balance work-life and wonderful camaraderie.
“When Covid came we got pushed out the door by my employer but I forced myself to come down here and ride,” he said.
“For your mental health cycling is great and on the cycling track there’s no cars, no traffic.
“And I have a great time riding with my grandson and granddaughter cycling at the track.”
Special training nights where he can improve his technique and have a yarn with mates are a key part to the sport, Huyser said.
“We have special training nights and I like to come down and mentor the kids.”
Ocean Swimming – Gaby Donnelly, 45
As a keen member and head coach of the Cairns Mudcrabs Ocean Swimming Club, Gaby Donnelly reckons there’s nothing quite so fine as a dip in saltwater.
“My sister Theresa and I have been swimming since were toddlers,” she said.
“We swam competitively all the way through high school, continued to swim and joined the Mudcrabs for training 20 years ago.
“For me swimming comes naturally, although I do work hard at it.”
In 2019, the club presented the sisters with Life Membership, an honour, Donnelly said they very much appreciated.
Donnelly said while some people prefer pools to open water, what matters is “you always feel better after swim”.
“Swimming is a full body workout,” she said.
“Swimming is important for mental health, I feel this is why people love it, all you have to do is follow the black line and not think about anything if you don’t want to.”
In 2022 Donnelly and her sister undertook a tandem swim from Magnetic Island to Townsville.
“She did just under 20km on the day, she’s a tough nut,” Donnelly said.
Do you know an inspiring senior athlete? Let us know at editorial@cairnspost.com.au
More Coverage
Originally published as Jason Masters, Anne Massey, Stephen Turner, Elaine Scott: Cairns’ fittest senior sport players
Join the conversation
Brave dad makes citizen’s arrest amid home invasion horror
A Cairns couple have told of a terrifying home invasion that ended with the husband making a citizen’s arrest of a teen suspect.
Read more
‘Breath away from disaster’: Union fires up over water security job
The CFMEU has warned of an industrial relations “disaster” at council’s largest-ever construction project over claims of jobs going south, but lead contractor John Holland has stated the firm had a longstanding commitment Cairns suppliers.
Read more