The winners of the Eastern Area Agency on Aging George Hale Silver Frame Awards have been chosen, and they are profiled here by category.

The Fitness or Outdoor Enthusiast-Adventurer category of the awards is important because it shows that being active is not only for the young, but also for the young at heart.

Winner of the age 60-75 group is Norinne “Nonni” Hilchey Daly.

“At the tender age of 70, Nonni Hilchey Daly is as involved in her community and the University of Maine today as she has ever been,” wrote Bob Potts, her nominator.

Daly has a long list of accomplishments, interests and activities that are inspiring and somewhat unique. Her love of horses is a large part of who she is.

Daly has a faculty appointment in the animal and veterinary science department at UMaine and serves as an adviser to the Standardbred Drill and Equestrian Teams. She is responsible for the track management internship course, serves as the vice chairman of the Standardbred Industry Advisory Council of Maine and coordinates a Breed Demo Show for retired standardbred racehorses at Bangor Historic Track each year.

As if all this horse play weren’t enough, Daly owns and races her own Standardbred racehorse. The creative side of Daly is also impressive. She makes six to 10 quilts a year to donate to charities.

“Nonni is just a wonderfully warm, energetic person who enthusiastically embraces whatever she gets involved with and after a very successful career in publishing in New York City, she retired to Maine and has never let up,” wrote Potts.

The winner in the 76-and-older category is Gwen Jacques.

“She is a very active fitness and outdoor enthusiast who is an inspiration to all who know her,” wrote her nominator, Bea Kingsbury. “She walks, swims, climbs mountains and lifts weights. At the age of 76, she’s still very active, and we would do well to try to keep up with her.”

Jacques grew up in Bangor with a strong work ethic that was put to good use at an early age. She was considered the “best strawberry picker at the age of 10,” wrote Kingsbury.

Always active with a can-do spirit, Jacques was forced to find different ways to stay fit after back surgery at age 48.

“She started hiking in Acadia National Park, climbing trails that could intimidate younger women – including the Precipice Trail,” wrote Kingsbury of her friend. “She took up mountain biking on the trails in the park. She and a group of friends would bike to a campground, hike to the top of Mt. Katahdin and think of it as a lovely day trip. In winter, it was cross-country and downhill skiing that was her adventurous exercise plan to keep in shape.”

But Gwen found herself on the operating table once again, this time for her knee. Nothing can stop her for long. Because the knee surgery put an end to her mountain climbing, Gwen took up walking three miles a day.

She works out at the Y for an hour and swims for another hour, does her own housework, rakes and mows the lawn and still has time to go to lunch with friends and read the latest books, wrote Kingsbury.

“All who know her are impressed with her energy and commitment to fitness. Jacques’ lifestyle is an inspiration to us and we are privileged to have a friend like her in our life,” she added.

Congratulations to both winners. And thanks to the nominators for sharing the stories of these dynamic seniors. Next week, you’ll meet the two winners in the Life-long Learner-Entrepreneurial category.

Carol Higgins Taylor is director of communications at Eastern Area Agency on Aging. E-mail Higgins Taylor at chtaylor@eaaa.org. For information on EAAA, call 941-2865, toll-free 800-432-7812, e-mail info@eaaa.org or log on EAAA.org. TTY 992-0150.