Roy Englert survived not only World War II in the Navy, but he also survived being part of the historic D-Day invasion.
Decades later, he’s also managed to become just one of two competitors to participate in all of the National Senior Games, which have been held every two years, essentially, since 1987.
“I’ve always had good luck,” he said recently in a Defense Department article highlighting his most recent accomplishments at the senior games in Pittsburgh in July. He’s received plenty of media attention over the years, including articles in the New York Times.
Roy was one of 12,000 competitors in Pittsburgh this year, and the only one in his age category in the 400 meters. He said he was running just to finish, and he did.
He also was a recipient of the Humana Game Changer award, given by the event sponsor, for “exemplifying healthy aging and for providing encouragement, motivation, and inspiration for all seniors to live healthy lifestyles.”
Roy didn’t start running till he was 60. He retired at 73 from his career as a lawyer with the Treasury Department.
He says his physical fitness has helped him stay healthy and positive all these years. And he has simple advice for anyone asking about his longevity.
“You just get out there and you go as fast you can for as long as you can,” he says. “Keep moving, keep moving, keep moving. That’s the key to it. You gotta just keep moving.”
>Watch a video interview at the National Senior Games website.
