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Orhan Cakir, an 84-year-old athlete living in Karabuk, a city about 200 kilometers (124 miles) north of Ankara, is working to raise his career medal total to 100, Anadolu Agency (AA) reported.
Cakir was born in 1942 in Kilimli, a district of Zonguldak province on Türkiye’s Black Sea coast.
He began athletics in his youth with the 1,500-meter and 3,000-meter races, then moved to hammer throw and pole vault.
After finishing second in Türkiye as a young athlete, Cakir stopped competing for a period. He returned to the track in 2006 in the masters category for older athletes. His career includes 90 medals, numerous cups, and Turkish records.
At the 2023 Balkan Championships, Cakir won first place in four events. In July, he competed in four events at the national championships in Izmir, a port city on Türkiye’s Aegean coast, winning gold in three and silver in one.
Cakir retired in 1994 from Kardemir, a steel company in Karabuk, and later became an accountant, a profession he has practiced for 30 years.
Cakir told AA that he continues his sporting life, which began in high school, with the excitement of his first day. He currently competes in the masters 80-84 age group.
“I have 90 medals and many cups from competitions. I started masters competitions in 2006. I had a Türkiye record at that time. I was named athlete of the year in Karabuk in 2009. In 2023, I won the Balkan championship, four firsts in four events,” Cakir said.
He also took part in the pentathlon at the 2005 European Championships, finishing 10th while representing Türkiye. Cakir said he has competed in the Balkan championships about five times, as far as he remembers.
The national championships are held every year, and Cakir said he took part in the July 11-12 races in Izmir.
“If I stay healthy for two more years, I want to raise my medal count to 100. I will also take part when the European competitions are held in Türkiye. My goal in Europe is to finish in the top three,” Cakir said.
Cakir said the sport requires patience and that it is hard to attract young people. He urged them not to quit their disciplines.
“When you quit, you are gone, so do not give in to comfort,” he said. “I try to sweat at this age. I do accounting work, which tires the mind, so I try to stay on my feet. If you let yourself go, even if you are young, you are gone.”
Cakir said he also keeps walking, which he described as the best sport, and does periodic training twice a week.
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