Yoke-Kueen Stone has become an inspiration in the Illawarra. Photo: Michele Tydd.
This smiling pocket rocket who stands at just 144 cm has become an inspiration for seniors who think their sporting days are over.
Yoke-Kueen Stone (pronounced Yokwin) from Tullimbar is 84 and is still busting her moves at the weekly sessions of table tennis at Albion Park held by University of the Third Age (U3A), Shellharbour.
“My favourite shot when I was younger was the smash but I can still spin the ball and I move pretty well,” she said proudly.
“Sometimes I feel I’m not playing rigorously enough but other times I’ll get a bit of a sweat up and that’s good.”
Modest indeed, but not quite accurate according to group leader, Greg Carthew.
“Yoke-Kueen is one of the best players for her age I’ve seen,” he said. “She has muscle memory and plays consistently good shots.”
Yoke-Kueen, who is originally from Malaysia, migrated to Australia at 21, and has been an active sportswoman for most of her life.
She grew up with nine siblings in the town of Lahat, where her father worked as a tin miner.
“My two older brothers set up a badminton court at the front of our house where I started playing when I was about seven or eight,” she said.
“I’ve always been very active and started playing table tennis at school along with a variety of other sports.”
In 1962 after her parents died, she followed one of her brothers to Australia to further her education. She studied at several universities in Melbourne, Queensland and Canberra. She did an arts degree and studied several languages including Japanese and Chinese.
For entry into university, she had to sit for the HSC and that is where she met her husband, James, who she has been married to for nearly 60 years.
It was during her years as a member of the clerical staff in a government office in Canberra where she honed her table tennis skills.
“Lunchtime was often spent playing table tennis, and I developed a very aggressive game where I loved smashing the ball,” she said.
“I played so hard I’d often beat the men.”
Her love of badminton never left her. She participated in the World Masters Games in various locations throughout the world.
“I continued playing right up until COVID closed it down,” she said.
For her age Yoke-Kueen is in excellent health apart from mild arthritis and slight blood pressure, but they are not enough to hold her back.
“These days I’m not so competitive and I’ll miss the ball occasionally, but my focus is more on enjoying the game rather than excelling – and I still enjoy it a lot,” she said.
Yoke-Kueen believes a lot more seniors could be enjoying sport to improve their health and to socialise, but they are held back by issues like lack of transport, or they are embarrassed by their lack of sporting skills.
“These are all issues that can be overcome but you have to be proactive to work through them,” she said. “My advice to any senior who wants to be more active is simple – just give it a go.”
Greg Carthew agreed that lack of confidence was an issue with older players.
“From what I’ve seen, older people who at first think they can’t do it, improve very quickly once they start, and they get that bit of exercise they otherwise wouldn’t get,” he said.
U3A table tennis for seniors starts at age 50 with no age limit.
“Two years ago we had one woman at Warilla who was 96 and still playing,” said Greg.
