Roller skates, roller blades and other such pieces of sporting equipment are popular among consumers in the UK and other countries but their use generally does not extend to people over the age of 75.
Well, not so in the case of granddad Douggie Moore, who at 77 is still donning his roller skates to get involved in training sessions for the Middlesbrough roller hockey club, the Evening Gazette reports.
For a few years, the sporting enthusiast had to hang up his boots after suffering two heart attacks. However, he has now taken his skates back out of the cupboard and he helps out twice a week coaching at the organisation.
His role is to help beginners get started on their wheels and develop their confidence.
Commenting on his efforts, he stated: “If I can’t do it on my skates I won’t do it. You have got to show you can do it. You can’t just stand there and talk to them. I skate the full distance. Being competitive is important to me. I enjoy it.”
Meanwhile, referring to his motivation for getting started in the sport many decades ago, he noted that it all began when he was 16 when he began skating at the Albert Park rink in Middlesborough.
He remarked: “On a night-time it used to be open. I used to look out of the bathroom window. If I could see the lights on I knew it was on.”
Meanwhile, he added that there were “some quite smart looking girls down there”, which also served as motivation.
Later in his life, he became a professional skating coach and taught at the Olympic roller arena in Birmingham.
These days, many youngsters across the country use their skates and roller blades in specially designed parks, as well as ordinary parks and streets.