In their sixties and still rocking!

HYDERABAD: O A Seth is a restless man when it comes to taking rest. So, he swims, learns Tai Chi and fencing. When home, he browses the internet or stays glued to his iPod.
At 73, Seth hardly cuts the stereotypical figure of a retired official relaxing after a long stint of work. He flaunts the gold medal he won in 2006 in a national swimming competition and talks about his firm belief in living life king size.Apart from pursuing these varied interests, he also has his own business, which he started after retiring as a metallurgical engineer from SAIL.
Once an asthmatic and arthritic, Seth now says with these sports his ailments no more bother him much.
Giving Seth's enthusiasm stiff competition is P Varaprasad Rao with his seven jeeps.
This 60-year-old loves to zip around in his jeeps, discover new terrains and has even won the Vintage Car Rally, 2008. Particularly fond of his 1942 Ford GPW model, Varaprasad is now busy learning a new science - that of internet chatting.
"With time I have become tech-savvy, though earlier I was wary of it. My son is settled in USA and I love chatting with him," says Rao who was a forest contractor for 36 years.
Adept at using his digital camera he also loves shooting wildlife pictures, when not nostalgically talking about how he bought each of his jeeps.
Clearly, television commercials showing grey haired retired people walking towards the sunset need to do a reality check, if these examples are anything to go by. Call them the retired and rocking or those who have made "stylish sixties'' not an era of bell-bottoms but a way of living.
Refusing to be bracketed in an age-zone these energetic 60-somethings are charting their own tracks and running on them.
And there are many joining the list in Hyderabad.
Take for instance, S Farooq Quader, a retired marketing professional, who loves participating in state-level rifle shooting competitions.
Even at 65, his killer instinct is satiated only after winning these contests. Farooq is a three-time gold medalist of Hyderabad Rifle Association. Age, he says, doesn't restrict him from participating in adventure sports. "It's only when I am tired, I make up by over-sleeping the other day," he explains matter-of-factly.
Those around these hearty sixties are feeling the impact of their effervescent presence.
Shams Ahmed, general secretary of Jeep Thrills says, "People in this age group joining adventure sports is a healthy sign. Besides, they charge up the whole environment with their enthusiasm and mental strength. Although, due to age they are comparatively less active physically but their experience and composure is a motivation for the youth."
Md Naseer, a fitness consultant in Country Club adds, "The elderly are more focused and target oriented. Although the young are more enthusiastic about fitness, but the elderly exhibit the right kind of discipline regarding workouts and dietary patterns."
Naseer's point is illustrated in Navin Shah's example. At 68, Shah is regular when it comes to hitting the gyms, doing aerobics and participating in dance competitions. Even a by-pass surgery and a heart attack 18 years ago does not restrict him from enjoying lifting weights up to 50 kgs.
"Exercise gives us moral strength and a feeling that nothing is wrong with us," says Navin rather jubilantly.
Then there are others who just wouldn't let age become a barrier to a good performance on stage.
"Theatre is my first love and while performing 'The legend of Taramati' at Taramati Baradari, I didn't mind climbing 100 stairs over and over again as the shows were repeated. When zeal comes in, age and fatigue disappear," says Rashmi Seth, 65, theatre personality in Hyderabad.