"People applauded when I walked up to get these things," said Christian Reinhard, looking down at a pair of bronze medals he'd just won in Salmon Arm's 55+ BC Games.
"I didn鈥檛 come for these things."
Reinhard, 81, won the medals in table tennis, from competing in the men's 81+ singles category, the other in the 75-79 doubles category with 琉璃神社's Dennis Wiberg.
The applause, and the significance of Reinhard's wins, are not lost Wilf Pauls who, about two years ago, saw the Lake Country man essentially return from the dead.
Pauls, an author and former Salmon Arm educator who now resides in 琉璃神社, and Caroline Bauer had started a game of table tennis with Reinhard, who was waiting for his partner to join them at the Rutland Seniors Centre. Pauls said he watched as Reinhard's body suddenly stiffened and his head went back. Pauls, Bauer and another man ran to catch Reinhard as he began falling backwards.
"We grabbed him and put him down," said Pauls, still upset he didn't get his hand behind his friend's head. "His head dropped three inches and hit the floor and I felt so bad. I felt horrible. But I didn鈥檛 realize we鈥檇 actually saved him from knocking himself silly."
Another table-tennis player, Greg Metzger, jumped on top of Reinhard and began administering CPR.
"He鈥檚 still not breathing. His heart stopped beating," said Pauls of his friend.
Moments later a defibrillator was used, and the group managed to bring Reinhard back.
"Christian came back to life before the paramedics got there鈥� the fire guys showed up and then the paramedics came right after," said Pauls. "Bang, 12 minutes later they said we鈥檒l take over folks, just step away."
Reinhard would receive triple bypass heart surgery. He remembers little of the experience that saw him spend about two weeks in hospital.
Without the quick response at the seniors centre, Pauls believes Reinhard would have died.
"Having seen him pass right out, not breathing, heart stopped, and now I see him playing table tennis 鈥� I have to keep playing hard to beat him 鈥� that鈥檚 a miracle. Amazing," said Pauls.
While he'd been taking blood pressure medication, Reinhard wasn't aware of his heart condition prior to the incident, as he endeavoured to keep active and in good health.
"I used to teach martial arts and I used to own the largest fitness centre outside of Vancouver鈥�," said Reinhard. "I was on pills for high blood pressure, but I was fit, I was a competitive fighter on the circuit for martial arts."
Reinhard said his heart condition was a result of poor nutrition in his youth.
"It was war time, my mother was a loving mother, many children, no money, the food was cheap and fatty and by the time when I was 30 years old I started into nutrition and was into fitness all my life," said Reinhard. "I鈥檝e always had high blood pressure but the damage was done during the war time and the time after when we had no food. So the lesson is, the food, nutrition and fitness are the most important."
Feeling "reborn" after his surgery, Reinhard worked hard to lose the weight he gained and get back into sport.
"I started training after the fact, and I go religiously to play table tennis, I go to the YMCA and I try to walk," said Reinhard, who is passionate about sharing his experience with others, urging people ages 55 and up keep fit and take care of themselves. "My message is for the older people is to get up away from the TV and show them such a light鈥� If you want it enough, you can stay healthy longer, you don鈥檛 have to die at 50 or 60. That sounds terrible but it is the truth. I live in a retirement community now and I seem them pushing the carts and they鈥檙e 55+. If you do something with nutrition and fitness, I think you can experience a longer life."
Reinhard said it's fantastic to be a part of the 55+ BC Games and seeing so many people keeping fit through various activities. Throughout the games, he wore a shirt he received from COACH (Central Okanagan Association for Cardiac Health) 琉璃神社, an organization that offers programs for cardiac care. COACH is one of a long list of names Reinhard is grateful to for the care and support he's received.
Table tennis has also played a role in Reinhard's recovery. While there are still, at times, challenges with dizziness, he continues to work on his game.
"It needs reflexes and you have to be very quick," said Reinhard. "I鈥檓 not quick, that鈥檚 why I鈥檓 not so good, but I鈥檓 working on it. So I've been involved in table tennis only the last four years, but I know how to train because I was in training before in other sports."
Pauls, who has also undergone heart surgery and at times experiences dizziness, said table tennis requires quick reflexes and quick thinking.
"When I play you, if I lose focus, you will beat me," said Pauls to Reinhard. "I have to stay focused and I鈥檓 inspired by the fact that you keep on going even when you are dizzy, even when I see you sway a bit鈥�
"He鈥檒l say I鈥檓 dizzy today, which doesn鈥檛 mean I鈥檓 supposed to let up when I play him," said Pauls of Reinhard."He鈥檚 going to play hard. We both try to kill each other but we鈥檙e friends.
"That鈥檚 what he joy of it is, you鈥檙e fit, there鈥檚 social stuff going on. This is why table tennis is called the world鈥檚 best brain sport. There鈥檚 so many things going on鈥� every ball is a different decision, your neurons are firing all the time."
"I love fighting him but I always lose," laughed Reinhard. "I strive to be better."
