Carter keeps his eye on the birdie

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This article was published 09/11/2018 (2762 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A quick flick of the wrist. A sudden lunge to the front of the court. An overhand smash.

At 90-years-old, Stefan Carter is showing age is no obstacle when it comes to badminton.

The retired doctor and vascular specialist from River Heights recently received the Sport for Life award from the Manitoba Badminton Association. The award recognizes role models who practise an active lifestyle and healthy living.

“It’s a surprise and this award is not about my badminton racquet skills, but more that I’ve done it for so long,” Carter said about receiving the recognition.

“It’s nice and very generous of Manitoba Badminton to do that. There are a lot of people who are deserving of awards in badminton, where as I am really a beneficiary. I should be giving Manitoba Badminton an award,” he joked.

Carter, a Holocaust survivor who is featured in the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, came to Winnipeg in 1948 and began work as a doctor. He served at the University of Manitoba as a faculty member and worked for 40 years in heart and cardiovascular health.

He got his start with badminton casually batting about shuttlecocks with his two sons in a back lane. But in 1981, neighbour Don Bailey asked Carter if he wanted to play recreationally, and the two joined the River Heights Badminton Club. Thirty-seven years on, Carter still plays at the club several nights a week.

“It’s fun and you’re active and you feel — whether you win, lose, miss, or succeed at hitting a good shot — it’s so self absorbing, so what otherwise is going on your life, good or bad, it all sort of fades away.

“And after, one feels reinvigorated, at least I do.”

While Carter describes his skill level as “mediocre,” the experienced badminton player isn’t shy about competition. He typically plays doubles with the folks at the River Heights Badminton Club (getting everyone on the court is important, Carter noted), but has also competed at the national level in the masters division. In 2017, he was one of three men’s doubles teams entered at the Canadian Masters Badminton Championship hosted at Red River College and was forced to play down against younger athletes. He was also the oldest player competing in the tournament.

Carter isn’t reserved about squaring off against those a third of his age either.   

“There are young people and older people, and people from all walks of life and people who have roots in various parts of the planet, and that’s sort of interesting and gratifying to interact with all those people,” Carter said.  “Most people, I find, are really good people apart from being good badminton players.

“Even though they are good, they are willing to play with me,” he added. “I am a bit of a handicap to my partner in doubles, but people try to sort of even things out.”

Carter said he hopes to continue playing as long as he lives and said the benefits of staying active into your senior years can’t be understated.

“I think the quality of life is improved by being active and in our case playing badminton,” Carter said. “I am really privileged and much better off. My doctor tells me that he thinks my playing badminton is an important factor in the fact that my health has held up.”