Paralympian, Maine Guide receive Silver Frame awards

The Eastern Agency on Aging George Hale Silver Frame Awards was a wonderful opportunity to read about some truly inspirational seniors. Our hope for the awards was to highlight active seniors and we are happy to say our goal was reached.

There are incredible seniors out there doing incredible things. While only six of the nominees could take away an award, everyone who was nominated is a winner and we are all the better for having read about them.

Last week, the winners in the categories of Artistic-Creative and Life-long Learner- Entrepreneur were profiled. As promised, here are the winners of the Fitness or Outdoor Enthusiast-Adventurer category:

. Weston Smith, Glenburn, won Fitness or Outdoor Enthusiast-Adventurer category: under age 75. Nominated by his coworkers at Alpha One, who think of him as a senior pioneer and adventurer, Smith is an amazing and determined man who has met the challenges of becoming disabled and using a wheelchair.

He has introduced young people with disabilities to ice sports, such as sled hockey and curling, and started the Youth in Motion Program, which gives wheelchair users the opportunity to participate in sports that are designed with them in mind.

After organizing a wheelchair curling team in Maine, Smith was selected to be a member of the five-person Team USA in the 2006 Paralympics in Turin, Italy. He was recognized by the Japanese media for being the oldest Paralympian.

With an eye on the future, Smith has plans to continue creating and implementing new recreational programs for people with disabilities. As for his own health and enjoyment, Smith plays wheelchair tennis.

. And finally, Wilmot “Wiggie” Robinson of Millinocket, won Fitness or Outdoor Enthusiast-Adventurer category: 76 and older. Described by his nominator, Bill Pierce of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, Robinson is not only “full of life and spirit, but also committed to infecting all that God places in his path with these same positive energies.” At 84, he is a human dynamo and giver of light, said Pierce.

Robinson has been a Registered Maine Guide for 67 years and is currently a Master Maine Guide. He’s a senior examiner on the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife’s Guide Examining Board and attends four sportsman shows a year for the department. He is an outdoorsman, and such an avid gardener that he marketed more than 450 pounds of beet greens last summer.

Robinson is a co-host on the Maine Outdoors Radio Show on WVOM 103.9 FM and writes a column called Katahdin Country in the Katahdin Press. He enjoys hunting, fishing, camping and canoeing alone or with his numerous buddies.

Eastern Agency on Aging will present each winner with an engraved silver frame and photo of the winner with George Hale. A celebration in their community, when possible and dependent upon on Hale’s schedule, will be held in June.

But that’s not all. Each winner also will receive $100.

If you really want to be inspired, you can read the nominating essays of these winners on our Web site, www.eaaa.org.

Lastly, a very special thank you to our esteemed judges Joni Averill, Amy Cotton, George Hale, Kay Lebowitz, Julie Mallett, Bill Miller, Rob Reeves, Jane Skelton and Jon Small. We appreciate your thoughtfulness in reading the essays and making some very tough decisions.

Each winner, as well as every nominee, is a testament to living well and aging well. And it is not too early to be thinking of nominees for next year. Congratulations to all.

Carol Higgins is director of communications at Eastern Agency on Aging. For information on EAA, call 941-2865, toll-free (800) 432-7812, e-mail info@eaaa.org, or visit www.eaaa.org. TTY 992-0150.