At 95 years old, Mark Sertich still mows his lawn, shovels his driveway, and drives himself to the store. Pretty remarkable, right? Now consider that fact that he plays ice hockey three times a week against men half his age.
The Duluth, Minn. resident plays in a hockey league which mostly consists of current and retired firefighters. He never was one — he was an office manager after serving in World War II. But, he has a fire in his heart for the sport, and for living an active lifestyle.
Sertich began playing hockey in 1931, and he’s been an athlete his entire life. According to Today, he ran his first marathon at 59. Then he got into in-line skating and did his first in-line marathon at 75.
Usually it’s grandparents who sit in the stands rooting on their grandchildren’s sporting efforts. The reverse is just as true for Sertich, who has 18 grandchildren, 35 great-grandchildren, and five great-great grandchildren.
Sure, injuries come with the sport. According to Twin Cities, Sertich suffered a broken rib and a punctured lung in a nasty on-ice collision, but at 94, he was back at it just a few weeks later. As for missing teeth? Sertich has no problem spitting them out onto the ice after a blow to the mouth.
He’s not to be taken lightly on the ice. The organizer of his team said,
…I think he’s probably the only one in the whole world who plays at his level. He’s not just walking around on the ice either. He’s pretty agile, and he’s quick-minded and quick-handed.”
And his eldest daughter, 73-year-old Carole Fosness says,
“Everybody says to him, ‘How do you do it every day, keep on going like that?’ and he says, ‘Well, I tell myself if I turn this motor off, I’ll never get it started again,’” Fosness says, laughing.
Take a look at Sertich skate thanks to Great Big Story:
What do you want to be doing at 95?
