As John Murray makes his 30-minute commute to Sinclair Community College, one prominent thought is on his mind: Staying young.
At 95 years old, Murray’s daily routine on Sinclair’s campus consists of precision. At 8:25 a.m., Murray leaves his house and hops on the RTA. Murray then heads toward the weight room in Building 8 to loosen up for 15 minutes before making his way to the tennis courts in the Fieldhouse.
Since retiring from Standard Registry in 1980, Murray has played tennis, ping-pong and jogged around the Fieldhouse track in Building 8.
“That’s an accomplishment up to itself for any age,” said Linda O’Keefe, a professor in the Exercise, Nutrition and Sports Science department. “(Murray) is totally inspiring. I think that’s everyone’s goal to be active at 95. It’s amazing.”
‘Lots of miles’
Born in 1915, Murray has spent nearly his entire life in Dayton. He graduated from Kiser High School in 1933 where he spent two years on the school’s tennis team.
Murray said it was tough finding a job after graduation due to the Great Depression.
“You couldn’t buy a job,” he said.
After President Franklin D. Roosevelt put together the Works Progress Administration, which put millions of Americans to work constructing bridges and roads, Murray said he dug ditches for 40 hours a week, no matter the conditions.
In 1944, Murray was hired at Standard Register where he eventually retired in 1980.
Through more than 45 years of work, Murray always found time for exercise. Since he was a senior at Kiser, Murray ran at least a couple miles every day until he was 93 years old.
“After running for about 60 years, my knees are giving out,” he said. “I’m sort of limited to what I can do now.”
Senior Olympics
When Murray signs up for the Dayton/Miami Valley Senior Olympics this spring, it will mark his 30th consecutive year of competing in the games. Murray said he’s collected a mix of more than 75 local and state awards from his competition in tennis, ping-pong and the one-mile run.
“I’ll play ping-pong and tennis, but I don’t think I can run,” Murray said.
In 2005, Murray was inducted in the Dayton/Miami Valley Senior Olympics Hall of Fame. Murray never lost a 1500-meter race in his age group.
“As I got older, I reduced down to 800 meters, then 400 meters,” he said.
Murray said there is no secret in being so active at 95 years old.
“I don’t drink and I don’t smoke and I exercise everyday,” he said, “and I can eat anything I want.”
Ultra-competitive
One of the reasons Murray has always pursued athletics is his competitive nature.
“He loves the game,” O’Keefe said. “He’s ultra-competitive and he still wants to win … He still wants to hit a tennis ball, and that’s what it’s really all about.”
Murray, who has four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren, insisted on the importance Sinclair has played over the previous 30 years.
“The atmosphere (at Sinclair) is great,” he said. “I’ve always enjoyed it down here. This place means a lot to me because it keeps me young.”