Members of the New Westminster Tennis Club are rallying around a club member who has been a true inspiration.
Burnaby resident Ed Gladstone joined the New Westminster Tennis Club in 1931 and continues to regularly play tennis at the club in the summer months. In honour of his 98th birthday on July 11, the club is holding a small celebration for him on July 10.
Pierre Robinson, president of the New Westminster Tennis Club, said Gladstone is an inspiration to club members, both on and off the court.
"What it does for the people at our club, it is an inspiration to see someone moving around like that at that age," he said.
Gladstone plays at the New Westminster Tennis Club most Sundays and many Saturdays, and sometimes pops by on weekdays. Year-round, he also plays indoor tennis in Burnaby.
"I am 34 and I take a break during winter," Robinson said. "I had the pleasure of hitting with him one day. Even now, watching him on the court, it is pretty amazing."
Robinson noted that Gladstone has won a number of elite awards during his tennis career.
Gladstone, who was born in Middlesborough, England, started playing tennis when he was seven years old. He continued to play after moving to Canada with his parents in 1917.
"He comes across as such a gentleman both on the court and off, and regardless of his age, that's an example that we are so proud of, and it is a great reminder of a by-gone era that we can still aspire to," Robinson wrote in an email to The Record.
When interviewed in 2008, Gladstone told The Record that tennis has helped keep him healthy. During his time he's played some of the greatest players in the world, including Donald Budge, a six-time Grand Slam winner.
The New Westminster Tennis Club, located in Tipperary Park since 1901, has 250 playing members ranging in age from 11 to 98. The club's membership is continuing to grow and it welcomes more junior tennis players so the club can continue for many years to come.
Anyone wanting to join can contact www.nwtennis.com/contact or 604-522-6022
