AT 92, Joan Warren is not scared to take on her opposition on the tennis court and laughingly admits that she’ll only stop playing when no one wants to play against her anymore!
The nonagenarian is a member of Windsor Tennis Club, where she is a much-loved and respected player.
“I love being part of the club. Everyone always says to me they want to be like me. I say if you look after yourself and keep busy and active, you can! Sometimes I think ‘gee whiz am I really 92!’ but people look at me disbelievingly when I tell them my age!” she said.
Joan has been a keen tennis playing from a young age, but stopped playing when she finished school. When she started working, she took up table tennis and played at lunch time with a friend. Darts and badminton followed and she also added yoga to the mix, saying she did yoga for ten years but then stopped when it no longer fitted in with her gym schedule!
“I started playing tennis again when I was 60, after a friend suggested I join them at their club. I haven’t stopped playing since, even though I can’t play like I used to. I can still run though! I play on a Saturday, and do gym on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday,” she said.
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Joan said she has always been healthy and tried to keep fit. “I only noticed in my 80s that odds and ends started to conk in.”
“I didn’t expect to get to 92 with no ailments! I believe you need to keep moving and be fit. I still drive and I’m out of the house at 7.30am. I also do some cooking. All my friends are gone now though, and everyone says I will live to 100!” she said.
When asked what she does to relax, Joan said she enjoyed watching tennis on TV.
“I love watching tennis and stay up late into the night when there are tournaments on. I also watch test cricket, and especially enjoy it if South Africa is winning!” she joked.
Joan said that she always promised she would stop playing tennis when no one wanted to be her opponent.
“When someone looks at me and says ‘I don’t want to play with her’, I will throw in the towel, but it hasn’t happened yet. I do in an older age group, but I’m definitely the oldest! It’s quite funny, as I used to be the youngest,” she said.
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