The 10.30am Thursday aqua aerobics class at Lakeside Leisure Centre in Tuggeranong likes to keep fit -and have fun - all thanks to its 81-year-old instructor, Sandra McAveney.
Sandra, who retired as a college maths teacher 20 years ago to become an aerobics instructor, now teaches 12 classes a week to mainly elderly people across Canberra.
And she believes in injecting some fun and companionship into her classes - a case in point yesterday when many took to the pool while wearing a tiara or crown, a nod to this weekend's coronation of King Charles III. That was followed by a poolside coronation lunch.
And that's not an unusual post-class occurrence.
"We have coffee afterwards, I organise lunches out, if people aren't there, I check up if they're OK," Sandra said.
"I feel like it's a wider community thing. It's not just an instructor walking in and walking out and that's the class."
Ramrod straight, Sandra is also a former ballet teacher who believes posture and stretching are everything. Her husband died after a fall and she believes in everyday life, people have to learn to be steady on their feet. She decided after retiring as a maths teacher, that she wasn't finished yet. Aerobics was her "retirement job".
"I'm passionate about getting older people to be aware of their posture, stand up and work on their balance, so they can lead a more active life and not end up falling," she said.
Her students say the Farrer grandmother keeps them on track, attending aqua aerobics even in the dead of winter.
"She is an inspiration to a large number of seniors who literally keep fit by attending her classes year in and year out," Rosalind O'Connor said.
"Sandra's dedication is also inspiring, even running her classes on public holidays."
A mother of five and grandmother of 13, Sandra plans to keep teaching exercise classes for as long as she can. People were "surprised" when they discovered she was 81.
"But exercise has always been a part of my life, whether it's been sport or something, I've always maintained and tried to keep my shape," she said. "Everyone says, 'You're in shape' but I say, 'But I've worked at it, it doesn't come naturally'."
