When you’re young, everything feels easy – your body listens, energy flows, things just happen.
But what if we told you that energy doesn’t have to stay in your youth?

Real freedom often comes later in life – after years of experience, when you realise that age doesn’t have to be a limitation. It can be an opportunity to live actively, mindfully, and with joy.

That’s exactly what the veteran rowers of HAŠK Mladost showed during a special training session held on Thursday, 12 June 2025, at Lake Jarun in Zagreb. As part of the European project GOLDAGE, the training brought together 20 members of our veteran section, led by coaches Zoran Emeršić and Goran Nusker. Participants were between 65 and 70 years old, with the oldest being 82 – a clear reminder of what we at HAŠK Mladost have always believed: age is just a number, not a limit.

This wasn’t about speed – it was about balance. Physical and inner.
No pressure, no results to chase. Just pure enjoyment in movement, rhythm, and connection.
For these rowers, rowing isn’t just a sport – it’s a way of life.

Today, the HAŠK Mladost veteran rowing section has 52 active members – individuals who prove every day that community, health, and determination have no expiry date.
They don’t row to relive the past. They row for the freedom they feel today – and the motivation to return to the water tomorrow.

This training is just one step in the wider GOLDAGE – Multisport Training Programme for Physical Activity of Elder People 60+ project, co-funded by the Erasmus+ Sport programme.
The mission is simple, yet powerful: to encourage regular physical activity among people aged 60+, strengthen social inclusion, and promote a healthy, fulfilling life through sport.

The project brings together three sports organisations:

LEVSKI – Sport for All, Sofia

Fondazione S.S. Lazio 1900, Rome

and HAŠK Mladost, Zagreb

Our role goes far beyond logistics.
We actively implement sports programmes, train coaches and volunteers to work with older adults, and develop handbooks and communication materials – all to share knowledge and experience with sports organisations across Europe.

📸 Curious what it looks like when an 82-year-old rows with the same fire as in their youth?
Check out our photo gallery.