ATLANTA -- Most centenarians would be on the sidelines. Not Sid Cojac. The 100-year-old man is on the pickleball court twice a week.
In fact, Sid brought his favorite sport to the Marcus Jewish Community Center a few years ago.
"I had a devil of a time getting it started," he said.
No one had heard of it. Now 100 members have the same enthusiasm for a sport that's a bit tennis, table tennis and badminton all in one. And no, there is no pickle.
While the game is popular with seniors, interest crosses generations.
Sid has always been active.
"I played baseball, track and basketball," he said.
And he's always been up for trying something new, like tennis, which he picked up later in life.
"Oh, I must have been about 78 or 79," he said.
At 84, he received an award when he became a champion in the National Senior Games.
When he's not working out at the JCC, he's exercising at home.
"I'm on the bicycle for a half hour, the Stairmaster for about 300 times, then I'm on the treadmill for 10 minutes...then push-ups," he said. "When I get out of there, man, I'm tired."
In addition to being a centenarian sports star, he's also a bit of a celeb at the JCC. They marked his 100th birthday with a big bash. Sid has a tree in his honor, a comfy bench, and even a title: Mayor of Main Street.
When asked the key to his success, Sid has a few pointers.
"Staying active, keep your mind active, having a lot of friends, be involved," he said. "Do what you can to help your fellow man."
Sid says he "ate the same junk" as everyone else when he was younger. Now, he says he only has chicken and fish -- "the healthy stuff." He doesn't drink coffee and eats just two meals a day.
Sid says his only sin is that on the days he's not working out, he sleeps in.
