As he was moving his feet, swinging his hips and trying to keep in lock step with the class leader, Steven Adams was working up a sweat. He may have been a third or a quarter of the age of the rest of the members of the dance group at the INTEGRIS Pacer Fitness Center, but the senior citizens taking part in the Thunder Fit Clinic were giving him a run for this money.
While Ish Smith was in a different workout room going through some light basketball drills and aerobic exercises with a group of seniors, Adams was taking part in the Zumba portion of the Fit Clinic, and got rave reviews from senior citizens about his dancing ability, particularly the samba. It took him a minute to find his groove, but the laughter and smiles of the senior citizens dancing alongside him helped him get into a groove.
“It was like Serge’s music,” Adams joked. “I couldn’t understand it but it really motivated me to move my hips. Trust me, it was some class stuff.”
Most of the seniors in the class work out at the INTEGRIS Pacer Fitness Center regularly anyway, so it was a special treat when they were able to participate in a session with Adams and Smith. It was a mutually inspiring experience, as the seniors got to meet with high level athletes, while Adams and Smith had the chance to see senior citizens who are active and take care of their bodies.
“We love them,” Anita Baker, a Pacer Fitness Center member said. “We see them go out into the community, working with the children and it really touches our hearts to see such community minded athletes.”
“These guys are so young, yet they’re so nice and so giving,” said Nancy Shilder, a director at the Pacer Fitness Center. “It makes these guys feel really good, our seniors. It solidifies why they do what they do on a regular basis, and they’re a good example for the guys.”
Thunder Fit Clinics, presented by Homeland, are typically held at middle schools throughout the Oklahoma City area, but it’s a wonderful change of pace to modify the clinic to make it suited for senior citizens. Both Adams and Smith had a great time meeting with some of the most loyal Thunder fans in the state, answering their questions and leading them through their workout.
“I did this last year and it’s always good fun,” Adams said. “We do Zumba and dance. They’re really cool. They mix it up. They’re so loving and caring.”
“It was a good experience, especially for me to connect with the community,” Smith said. “They come to the games. It’s good to reconnect, come out, have some fun with them and work out with them.”
Westbrook Hosts Holiday Party for Foster Children
Just after Adams and Smith’s workout ended, another event started up just down the street. As a part of his annual charitable work through his Why Not? Foundation, Russell Westbrook treated kids from Citizens Caring for Children to a special holiday party.
There are 12,000 children in foster care in Oklahoma City alone, what Sherri O’Neil, executive director of Citizens Caring for Children called an “epidemic”, and Westbrook wants to try to make sure as many as possible can have a special holiday season.
“My job is to try to find a way where every kid can have a Christmas and have something to look forward to on Christmas,” Westbrook said. “Today was a day where I can come out and make them smile and give them something to look forward to.”
While eating a meal together, each child received a pair of Nike Jordan Brand shoes, a t-shirt and a backpack, and then Westbrook stopped by each table and played basketball with the kids. More important than the physical gifts however, is the love and care that Westbrook has shown.
Westbrook met with one girl who had attended this event in years past and found out that she will be going to college next year. That news meant a ton to Westbrook, and the fact that he cares about the foster children in Oklahoma City meant even more to O’Neil and the kids.
“He plays a really important part,” O’Neil said. “These kids, even though they may be in and out of different homes because of foster care, they look at the Thunder and look at Russell as a role model. When he does an event like this, it just means something to them. They can actually see, touch and feel what he wants these kids to know, that he cares about them.”