Senior Couple Hikes Mt. Olympus Every Saturday Morning
Jul 26, 2018, 8:24 PM
SALT LAKE CITY — The Bartholomas are young at heart. Nothing keeps them off of Salt Lake City’s beautiful hiking trails—even their age!
Eighty-seven-year-old Bart and his 71-year-old wife, LaRae, hike Mount Olympus every Saturday morning without fail.
“No questions asked — rain or shine,” Bart Bartholoma said.
They’ve hiked the trail hundreds and hundreds of times over the years.
Sometimes Bart sneaks ahead of his wife, but he always checks in on his sweetie in case something happens with their walkie-talkies.
Bart and LaRae Bartholoma have hiked Mt. Olympus hundreds of times.
Their secret to longevity? “Use it or lose it, and we use it,” he said.
Every Friday night, they lay their hiking packs and poles by the door. He said this commits them to the hike.
“Then when we wake up, there they lay and it says you got to go,” he said.
LaRae Bartholoma said her husband keeps her going.
“Fortunately, our health permits us to do these things and we’re doing them together, and we’ll continue doing as much as we can as long as we can,” she said.
The couple tries to not sit too much during the day.
“I watch the news in the morning when I eat breakfast and that’s it!” he explained.
They said staying active is the key to their happiness.
87-year-old Bart Bartholoma and his wife hike Mt. Olympus every Saturday.
“We’ve done pretty much everything we want to do,” she said.
“Some days, you don’t feel like going, but we’ve never ever been sorry we did it. Never!” he added.
Intermountain Healthcare geriatrician Dr. Angel Lybbert said it’s never too late to start exercising, and people can experience more good years if they’re physically active.
She encouraged everyone to start moving.
“The body really preserves its ability to adapt to exercise, even into old age,” she explained.
The Bartholomas said they plan to keep moving another 20 years.
“It’s close and the view is great and the exercise is wonderful,” Bart Batholoma said.
