NO LIMITS photographic exhibit

Photographs showing that age is no barrier to active living will be on free outdoor display on College Green, Bristol, from 1 – 28 August 2019 as part of a new drive to persuade older people to make bolder keep fit choices. The exhibition coincides with a new directory of age-friendly physical activity options
in the city.

Exhibition

Titled NO LIMITS, the exhibition uses giant weatherproof frames to showcase around 35 images by Bristol-based photographer Alex Rotas of international champion athletes aged from 55 to 100+ and of locals participating in health and fitness activities as varied as park run, Tai Chi and walking sports.

The exhibition is mounted by Active Ageing Bristol – a
collaboration between Bristol Sport Foundation, St Monica Trust and The Anchor
Society – with funding from Bristol Health Partners.

Photographer, writer, public speaker and broadcaster Alex Rotas says she hopes the exhibition will challenge widely held misconceptions about what growing older means and encourage fresh thinking on what older people can do to stay fit, healthy, engaged and happy.

She says:

“My pictures of elite older athletes are proof that at 60, 70, 80, 90 and above the human body is capable of a lot more than most of us think. But I recognise we can’t all be record-beaters and medal winners. So, I am also exhibiting images of everyday Bristol seniors demonstrating that it’s possible gain physical, mental and social benefits from any level of physical activity.”

The oldest of the champion athletes featured in the NO LIMITS exhibition is Man Kaur, still competing internationally as a shot putter at 103.

Another is Bristol’s own Anne Dockery who is 71 this year. She’s a member of the GB team which topped the medal table at the most recent World Masters Athletics Championships in Spain and regularly runs the 1,500m in under seven minutes.

The exhibition is free to view and, because the eco-friendly display system is fitted with solar lighting, the photos can be seen at any time of the day or night.

Directory

The exhibition coincides with this summer’s publication by Active Ageing Bristol of a directory listing Bristol locations where older people can take part in age-friendly physical activities and builds on Bristol’s recent designation as an Age Friendly City by the World Health Organisation.

The Active Ageing Bristol Physical Activity Directory for
Older People 2019/20 has been produced in partnership with the Care Forum and
Well Aware with funding from Bristol Ageing Better and Bristol Health Partners.
It lists more than 200 age-friendly physical activity options in and around
Bristol, from walking sports to water sports and T’ai Chi to Zumba Gold. You can pick it up for free from GP surgeries, libraries, community and sport
centres, or a health professional or download a copy.