“You’re Only Competing Against Yourself”: The Cork Men in Their 70s Proving It’s Never Too Late to Start at The Gym

Three retired doctors in their seventies arrive at Obodo Gym in Cork twice a week.

There is no competition between them, no pressure and no talk of personal bests. Instead, there is laughter, encouragement and, afterwards, usually coffee.

For brothers Peter and Richard Kennefick and their close friend Killian Twomey, what began as exercise has become something much bigger, a routine, a friendship and a reason to get out of bed in the morning.

At 76, 74 and 78 years old, the three men are among a growing group of older adults attending Obodo Gym. What started as a way to move more has become part of their weekly routine and, perhaps most importantly, something they genuinely enjoy.

And according to them, age has very little to do with it.

“You’re only competing against yourself,” 78-year-old Killian says.

“You’re not competing against anyone else. You go at your own pace. The alternative is to be at home in bed. There is no question but coming here twice a week, or whatever frequency a person can manage, is only good for them.”

His words are simple, but they reflect something all three men repeat throughout the conversation, that exercise later in life is not about chasing goals or comparing yourself to others. It is about moving, keeping active and maintaining routine.

Unlike the image many people might have of older adults who regularly attend the gym, Killian says fitness had never really been part of his life before.

“Not a trace of it,” he laughs when asked whether he exercised previously.

“Nothing.”

Now, after being encouraged to join by Richard and Peter, he trains regularly and says the biggest benefit has not necessarily been physical.

“The social aspect is what I like,” he says.

“And if we get a bit of fitness with it, that’s a bonus.

“The friendship and the people in it, all the people I never met before, it’s great meeting them. They all know me by name and say, ‘How are you?’ or ‘Well done’.

The conversation between the three men is full of laughter and interruptions, and it quickly becomes obvious that their gym sessions are as much about companionship as exercise.

All three worked as doctors before retiring, but despite years spent in serious professions, there is little seriousness between them now. There is constant teasing and stories shared, the kind of familiarity that only comes from years of friendship.

Peter Kenefick, 76, says his connection to Obodo began through his children, Lucy and Christopher, who helped build what the gym has become.

“They started years ago and developed it over time,” he explains.

“They’ve done a wonderful job.”

For Peter, attending the gym twice a week has become part of his routine in retirement.

“It gets me up in the morning,” he says.

Although brief, the comment captures something many people experience as they get older. Retirement often brings freedom, but it can also mean losing structure and social interaction after decades spent working and raising families.

For Peter, Richard and Killian, the gym appears to have replaced some of that structure.

The sessions themselves are important, but so too is what comes afterwards.

“We certainly do,” Peter laughs when asked if they go for coffee after training.

“There’s a coffee shop just across the road.”

The answer prompts more laughter from the group, but it also highlights something that comes up repeatedly throughout the interview. Obodo has become more than somewhere to exercise. It is a place to meet people, socialise and maintain friendships.

Richard, 74, started attending around the same time as Peter.

“We said we’d give it a go,” he says.

“And we’ve never regretted the decision since.”

Like the others, he now comes twice a week. Growing up, Richard played rugby and later golf, although his brother quickly points out he is underselling his sporting background.

“He played for Corinthians,” Peter says proudly.

Richard laughs.

“That was 50 years ago.”

The exchange says a lot about the atmosphere between the men and perhaps also explains why they have continued attending for so long. There is no sense of pressure or competition between them.

That appears to be one of the biggest messages all three want older people to take away.

When asked what they would say to someone in their sixties or seventies who might feel nervous about joining a gym, none hesitate.

Killian’s answer is immediate.

“100% come.”

He explains that whether someone chooses a bike, rowing machine or another exercise, they move at their own pace and only compete with themselves.

Peter agrees and says people would likely surprise themselves by what they are capable of.

“I’d be very positive towards it,” he says.

“You’d go through exercises you might never have done before.”

Richard believes the benefits go beyond physical health.

“When you’re retired, it’s good to get you up in the morning and get you going,” he says.

“Any form of exercise has to be good for us. And there’s also the social element, which is nice.”

That social element is something all three men return to repeatedly.

Throughout the conversation they speak about friendship, routine and community almost as much as exercise itself, suggesting that those things may matter just as much when it comes to ageing well.

As gyms increasingly focus on younger audiences and performance, the experience of Peter, Richard and Killian offers another perspective. For them, staying active means turning up twice a week, seeing familiar faces, getting some exercise and leaving in better form than when they arrived.

Watching the three men together, joking and encouraging one another, it is difficult not to feel that the friendships may be as important as the workouts.

Killian admits he would probably never have joined had Richard and Peter not encouraged him.

Looking at them now, it is difficult to imagine one attending without the others.

At 78 years old, Killian’s message to anyone worried they are too old to start is straightforward: stop worrying about everyone else and just begin.

For many people putting off exercise because they believe they are too old or that it is simply too late to start, those few words might be enough to change their mind.