by Marissa Payne, The Washington Post
July 23rd, 2105
To 96-year-old Charlie Edwards, growing older isn’t an excuse to slow down. In fact, for him, it’s all the more motivation to speed up and try new things. That’s why he took up archery at age 92 and, this July, the decorated WWII veteran found himself with a gold medal around his neck at the National Senior Games. “I never picked up a bow before in my life until I got here at Greenspring,” he said, referring to his retirement community in Springfield, Va. Edwards discovered his interest only four years ago when, by chance, he shared an elevator with a man who happened to be holding what Edwards described as an “interesting looking package.” It turns out, that weirdly shaped bundle held a bow and arrow and soon Edwards found himself traveling to Fort Belvoir every Monday to utilize the military base’s indoor and outdoor ranges.
This year at the Games, Edwards found himself alone in the 95-99 age category, which he joked made it a lot easier for him to win. “Here I am a national champion without anybody ever challenging me,” he said. “That’s embarrassing, but nevertheless, I’m gonna keep my gold medal.”
Source/More: The Washington Post
