Faversham's 78 year-old gold medallist has no intention of slowing down

KentOnline / KMTV

Jim Garrett from Faversham Badminton Club has recently returned home to the county after winning the top honour in both the mens doubles and the mixed doubles at the World Senior Badminton championships.

Transcript

00:00 Retired teacher Jim Garrett from Ashford has been playing badminton since the age of 19,

00:06 almost six decades later at 78 and he's just returned to the county after having won two

00:11 gold medals at the World Senior Championships in South Korea.

00:16 Originally from Manchester, Jim moved to Kent in the 50s where joining the Kent squad skyrocketed

00:22 his love for the sport.

00:24 Now part of the England senior team, Jim tells me that age isn't a barrier and his record

00:29 proves it, winning gold in both the men's doubles and mixed doubles, plus taking a silver

00:34 medal in the over 75 singles.

00:36 I think most people are genuinely pleased and surprised when you say your age and sometimes

00:44 bothered surprised but when you look around the playing side of it, it's been joyous really.

00:54 I think my only regret is the fact that I'm running out of age groups because the next

01:00 tournaments I'm going to be right at outside those and who knows I probably won't get picked

01:07 anymore.

01:08 I think people sometimes say you're too old for that and really it's just an age, if you

01:14 feel you can do it, just do it.

01:16 That's the message to everybody isn't it really, just keep going as long as you can and you'll

01:22 be fine.

01:23 Jim plays at Favish and Badminton Club which has been running for more than 100 years here

01:27 in the county and it's now run from the Queen Elizabeth Grammar School.

01:31 Welcoming back their gold medallist, the club served up the perfect treat for a champion.

01:36 It's an amazing achievement for Jim and obviously for the club as well, really proud of what

01:43 he's achieved.

01:44 To be world champion once is amazing but to win two golds and a silver is brilliant.

01:48 I played with Jim for many years at the club, in games etc so the whole club was really

01:55 pleased for Jim and what he's achieved.

01:58 I think he's over 75 and he moves quicker than most of the people here, quicker than

02:03 I can move.

02:04 And of course I couldn't come along without getting a bit of a demo from the man himself.

02:09 As soon as one of these courts are free, Jim and I are going to partner up and he's going

02:12 to show me the ropes.

02:13 Wish me luck.

02:15 Despite some fierce competition, Jim and I battled on and came away victorious.

02:19 I'd love to take the credit but I must say Jim did all the hard work.

02:24 So from Manchester and Kent to taking on the world in South Korea.

02:28 Shuttlecock and racket in hand, it's clear that Jim Garrett's story is not just a rally

02:33 of wins but a smash hit.

02:36 Bartholomew Hall for KMTV in Faversham.

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