When one thinks of axe throwing, some of us may have images of burly men lobbing axes at a target or chopping firewood for the hard Northern winter; but last week, seniors from Aspen Ridge Lodge in Didsbury, owned and operated by Mountain View Seniors’ Housing, proved that axe throwing is very much an inter-generational sport.

Joni Daley, the founder of Rival Axe Throwing underlined the bonds between the seniors and the younger staff, including her grandkids are really what the sport is about.

"The seniors were so thankful to have young people there, loving on them [and]cheering on them. It was awesome," she said. "That's why it's a great opportunity for families to get together; [it's for] all ages."

Daley also underlined that even before the COVID-19 pandemic her business was reaching out to seniors and seniors' facilities, especially since she feels that physical activity, as well as socializing, is vital for seniors.

One of the residents who attended the outing at Rival Axe Throwing gleefully said that although she had never done anything like this before in her life, it was certainly an outing to remember.

"It was lots of fun and I would love to do it again.”

Michelle Maschke, the Activity Coordinator at Aspen Ridge Lodge echoed Daley's sentiments. She also very cheekily added that age, in this case, is just a number, considering that the average age of residents in the home is 87.

"I'm fairly certain all of them have swung an axe in their lifetime at some point, either chopping wood or going camping," she said. "They were having a good time [and] there were smiles all around."

Maschke added that the staff at Rival Axe Throwing couldn't have been more accommodating and that the inter-generational bonds of the sport were on full display. In fact, the co-owner of Rival Axe Throwing, Jena Storms, had her daughter Eleanor on hand to do a demo for the seniors.

"That hooked the seniors in right there; whenever you can pair up kids and seniors, it's always a good mix."

When asked if Maschke was surprised at just how well the seniors were able to throw axes, she said that not a day goes by that the residents don't surprise her in one way or another.

Both Maschke and Daley are hoping to organize more events for seniors such as the one that took place on March 24 in the near future and this will definitely be propelled by the seniors at the lodge, considering word spread very quickly of the putting.

"Some of the residents that went have told their buddies at the lodge how much fun it was. So, I'm hoping to get [more people to participate] next time."

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