At 86 years young, Harriet Brin acknowledges her hand-eye coordination isn’t as sharp as it used to be.
Father time catches up with everyone, but thankfully for Brin, she’s aging rather gracefully. Two weeks ago, Brin won the 85-and-over table tennis singles championship in the Meiklejohn North American Seniors Open in Southern California.
The longtime Hollister resident also took second in the 70-and-over age division, proving she’s still got plenty of game. Brin plays around five tournaments per year, traveling across the country for competition. Having played competitively for 17 years, Brin has won so many medals and trophies that “I wonder what I’m going to do with all of them.”
Brin’s greatest accomplishment came in the 2013 Senior National Games in Cleveland, Ohio, where she won not one but two gold medals in the 85-and-over singles and doubles tournament.
“I was really surprised I won the singles, because the person I was playing usually beats me,” said Brin, who will play in the U.S. Open Table Tennis Championships in Grand Rapids, Mich. over the July 4th weekend. “Winning a tournament like that, it keeps you feeling young.”
Brin literally outlasts her competition by keeping the ball in play. Consistent, steady and accurate, Brin is a classic counterpuncher, waiting for her opponents to commit an error.
“I’m like a backboard, where I try to get every ball back,” she said. “I’m a defensive player, and some of the opponents I play don’t like the slowdown style. Usually they’ll get frustrated and try to kill the ball, and a lot of times they’ll hit it into the net or off the table.”
Brin first started playing table tennis in high school, but since there was no team, she played for fun during recess and lunch period. It was only after meeting her now deceased husband—Bill died in November 2011 at the age of 87—when Brin started to get the itch to take her game to a higher level.
She accompanied Bill to his tournaments, and later the couple started entering tournaments in tandem. They were married for 63 years and had three daughters, all of whom live in different states. However, all three were able to visit Brin at her Hollister home at the end of April.
“There’s always tears when they leave,” she said. “It’s always hard to see them go, but you know they can’t stay (forever).”
Whenever Brin enters a tournament, she often plays multiple events at the different age levels. Even though her player rating isn’t as high as it used to be—it’s currently at 1143 compared to 1200 six to seven years ago—she’s still playing at a high level.
“Playing table tennis keeps me going,” she said. “I play because I enjoy the game, it’s good exercise and I’ve made friends through the sport over the years. I do notice I’m getting a little slower, and sometimes lighting makes a difference, but I still try my best and try to outlast my opponent in rallies.”
Besides table tennis, Brin stays physically active by talking several walks throughout the day, participating in yoga classes and doing a lot of gardening. Mentally, she keeps her mind sharp by having a can-do attitude.
Brin keeps herself busy with volunteer work as a board member of the Friends of Library program along with helping out at Sacred Heart and St. Benedicts Parish. Brin’s attitude can best be summed up by a famous Mark Twain phrase: “Age is an issue over mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.”
“I never think about my age,” Brin said. “The only time I ever think about it is when my back hurts. Otherwise it’s not an issue.”
It shows.
