At Beacon Hill and Oak Trace, two Lifespace Communities in the suburbs of Chicago, residents took the Summer Olympics very seriously this year – so seriously, in fact, that they created an Olympics of their own.
Doug Fleegle, executive director of Beacon Hill, said the residents’ avid engagement with the games in Paris inspired a one-day “Senior Olympics,” which pitted Beacon Hill and Oak Trace against each other in friendly but spirited competition.
Fleegle said the Olympics was a natural collaboration between Beacon Hill and Oak Trace, sister communities less than 10 miles apart that often partner with each other on events and activities.
“Our residents really got wrapped up in the spirit of the Summer Olympics this year, and it created a lot of excitement for our own event,” Fleegle said.
Fleegle said residents from both communities participated in developing the concept for the Senior Olympics and planning the schedule.
“The more the conversation continued, the more the excitement and the energy grew, and it resulted in one of our most successful collaborative resident programs in quite some time,” Fleegle said. “It included staff and residents from both communities. We shared best practices, we expanded our resident social circles, and quite honestly, the whole focus for the event really took over the attention of both resident populations, the residents here at Beacon Hill as well as the residents at Oak Trace.”
In the leadup to the games, Fleegle said the widespread resident interest in the event was obvious.
“So many of the conversations in the hallways were about it, and you could just tell the excitement was escalating,” Fleegle said. “Our residents would talk about how they were planning to be successful in the events and how they were – in a very supportive, friendly but competitive tone – going to do all that they could to best their friends at Oak Trace.”
On the big day, Beacon Hill traveled to Oak Trace, which – like Paris for the Summer Olympics – was chosen to select the Senior Games this year. Fleegle said competing with a nearby community raised the stakes of the competition and elevated the energy and camaraderie around the event – not just within each community but across the communities.
“It brought another level of excitement to it,” Fleegle said. “We had residents who didn’t know each other prior to the event, but as they’re competing against one another, relationships begin to grow. The event ended up being a new avenue for meeting people, and suddenly our residents’ network of friends has expanded beyond the community here at Beacon Hill and over to the community at Oak Trace. Conversations continued after the event, and residents and staff at both communities are already talking about what type of competitive event that we can schedule next.”
Fleegle said the Beacon Hill residents were greeted with open arms and welcoming smiles when they arrived at Oak Trace, and that friendly energy continued throughout the day, which included a break for lunch. The event started with a torch-lighting ceremony and the residents making a dramatic entrance.
“There was plenty of laughter as the games moved forward throughout the day, and the conversations became deeper and the element of friendship just reached another level,” Fleegle said.
Events included competitions ranging from Wii bowling (a highly popular activity at Beacon Hill) to an obstacle course. The day concluded with a medal ceremony that honored all participants, not just those who placed in the events.
“It was a very constructive collaboration based around the questions, ‘What do the residents of Oak Trace enjoy? And what do the residents of Beacon Hill enjoy?’” Fleegle said. “Both communities came together and embraced all the events, and there were no winners and losers. They were all winners.”
Fleegle said both communities featured enthusiastic cheering sections, and the pride that the residents who participated in events felt was clear. He said the Senior Olympics will have a lasting effect on the participating communities.
“The unbeatable energy and the team spirit that was generated during that day’s events carried over into each of our communities, and that energy and spirit remains today,” Fleegle said. “It brought a renewing spirit to each of our communities. Oak Trace and Beacon Hill are vibrant places that are committed to providing our residents with an active and fulfilling lifestyle, and this just catapults our efforts to customize wellness programming and social, cultural and educational programs for our residents. We want to use the success of the Senior Olympics to elevate ways to help our people pursue their passions.”
Fleegle said this was the largest collaboration yet between Beacon Hill and Oak Trace.
“Seeing all the residents cheering for one another – cheering for all the participants, not just the ones from their communities – really opened our eyes to the endless opportunities for what we could do on a regular basis to keep that excitement going,” Fleegle said. “The experience of taking a theme like the Summer Olympics and expanding it to two of our communities has allowed us to begin thinking about next steps and what we can do to collaborate again and keep our important commitment to our residents.”
