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Active senior celebrates 100 years with fanfare at Oak Bay manor

Reams of medals, personal bests and a Canadian record after picking up competitive swimming late in life
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Marion Devitt turned 100 on July 16 with a party at Milton Manor. (Val Carels photo)

An inspiring Oak Bay senior marked a milestone Tuesday.

Marion Devitt, known until recently for her daily walks of the track at Oak Bay High, turned 100 with fanfare at her Milton Manor home.

Born in Saskatchewan, Devitt lived in Calgary before moving to the West Coast in the 1980s, said niece Val Carels.

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Devitt is an avid fan of activity including gymnastics, tap dance and ice skating.

She took up competitive swimming later in life and has reams of medals. She competed well into her 90s and didn’t have any competition, so continuously sought personal bests, resulting in a Canadian record for breaststroke.

“For her 90th birthday someone in the family convinced her to do the splits, so she did it,” Carels said. The evidence of her doing splits on her 90th birthday remains on YouTube to this day.

While she unfortunately spent much of July in the hospital, Devitt returned to her Kiwanis-run home for the birthday celebration on July 16.



c.vanreeuwyk@blackpress.ca

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Christine van Reeuwyk

About the Author: Christine van Reeuwyk

I'm dedicated to serving the community of Oak Bay as a senior journalist with the Greater Victoria news team.
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