Where the boys and girls are

Retirees move to be near family and to tap into the Triangle's youthful vibe

Life is not over because you're old.

That's Jerry Conway's motto, and, at 78, Conway is proving it this year by starting a new life in a new city with a new job.

Conway and his wife, Arlene, moved from Houston, Texas, to Cary last year to be closer to their six children and 11 grandchildren. A lifelong fitness buff and retired marketing executive, Conway started working out at the Cary YMCA, and in December he joined the staff there, helping other members learn to use the weights and exercise equipment.

The Conways join an increasing number of seniors choosing North Carolina as a retirement destination -- more than 22,000 people 60 and older relocated to North Carolina from other states between 2004 and 2005, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The Conways like living close to their daughter in Raleigh (and within a day's drive of Ohio and Indiana, where their other children live), but they chose the Triangle more for its youthful feel.

"We're both healthy and ... I don't anticipate going into an old-fogies home or moving in with my kids. That wasn't my intention in relocating," Conway said. "I want to be around younger people in a vibrant city."

With his youthful attitude, Conway sets an example for Y members young and old, said Amanda Dismukes, the Y's wellness director. "He is a great role model," Dismukes said. "He shows [everyone] that being healthy is possible at any age, and he helps motivate our members to see that they can still work out as they age and grow in life. They don't have to stop at a certain age."

He has already inspired his wife, 70. "I want to try and keep my health at a level where I feel I can do things with my grandchildren," Arlene said. "I feel so much better when I go out and exercise."

Conway's love of sports started in his youth. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, he won scholarships in three sports -- football, track and wrestling (his favorite) -- to Kent State University. He coached wrestling and was a Little League umpire when his children were growing up.

Although he has never followed a specific exercise regimen, he makes a point of walking and playing golf several times a week. And instead of sitting still when he's watching television, he uses that time to stretch and do sit-ups and push-ups. Crossword and Sudoku puzzles help keep him mentally sharp.

A U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Conway worked in corporate communications and marketing for the Fortune 500 firm Reliance Electric and later the oil field products division of Dresser Industries. He discovered the Y after he retired 10 years ago and joined a fitness program called Silver Sneakers, offered through his HMO.

Seniors need motivation to stay active, said Conway, who would like to expand the Y's FitLinks program -- which generates a computerized, individually tailored workout plan based on a member's goals -- to specifically target older members. With his marketing background, he knows the numbers back him up: As America's 80 million baby boomers hit retirement age, people over 55 have become the fastest-growing segment of gym members, according to the market research firm American Sports Data.

He's motivated by the desire to help seniors feel better, enjoy more active lives -- and maybe introduce their grandchildren to the idea of lifelong fitness.

"When you start exercising your body, your mind feels younger, too,"

Conway said. "A lot of people get to be 65, they think, 'It's time to retire. I must be old.' I don't feel old, I don't act old, and I don't want to."