Amid the constant crash of falling dumbbells and the hum of treadmills, a 99-year-old, white-haired outsider glides through the hustle and bustle.
Dressed in a bright pink bow tie over a white polo shirt, dark sweatpants and white sneakers, Billie Bob Sykes strolls with a walker through the gym of a large fitness center in Gainesville.
She stops to chat with everyone – familiar or not – and encourage them during training.
“Oh, honey, you’re doing great,” Sykes, who has worked as a preschool teacher for 35 years, says to a man doing leg extensions.
Sykes joined Gainesville Health & Fitness shortly after the death of her husband, Lucien Sykes III, in 2000. Despite having the support of her four children, she felt she needed to get out and be around people.
“She started going to the gym to go somewhere and meet people and get out of the feeling of being alone now,” her daughter Pat Massimillo, 67, said recently. “It was a motivation to get up every day and go, not only to exercise but also to be able to communicate with other people.”
After being a member and fixture at the gym for many years, the fitness center offered Sykes a volunteer position as an “ambassador” in 2016.
“She loves everyone; everyone loves her,” said Beth Borsa, a group fitness instructor at the gym. “She welcomes everyone and is genuinely happy when someone joins (the gym).”
Sykes was born on March 9, 1925, in Bainbridge, Georgia, 40 miles north of Tallahassee. Her parents, Willie May “Billy” Howell and Robert “Bob” Howell, named her after their nicknames.
Sykes played tennis and golf in high school and at the Ogontz School, an all-women’s college in Pennsylvania, where she studied early education. She met her future husband soon after his service in World War II. They married in 1948 and moved to Gainesville when he was transferred for his job as a mechanical engineer.
Another transfer led the couple to live in Winter Haven for two years before settling in Gainesville. Today, Sykes has four children, all in their 60s, and eight grandchildren. She still lives in the same house she did in the 60s.
Three of Sykes’ children still live nearby, and Massimillo, a local lender and bank manager, attributes their mother’s continued health to her active lifestyle. Sykes agrees.
“I’m a big believer in taking care of yourself and exercising,” she said. “You’re never too old to keep moving, but it’s up to you whether you want to do that or not.”
Sykes has also built a second family at the gym. Several staff members have been with her for decades, including Debbie Lee, senior marketing director, Karen Coley-Cannon, a sales and marketing representative, and Jan Campbell in the membership office.
“I call her my mom, away from my mom,” Campbell said.
Coley-Cannon said: “She impressed a lot of people, and a lot of people impressed her, and that’s why she keeps going.”
Sykes takes part in the “Sit to be Fit” classes that the gym offers for members who are significantly older and/or have limited mobility. Even her classmates find Sykes inspiring.
“She’s a great person,” said Judy Luck, who met Sykes in a class about 11 years ago. “Everyone says they hope to be like her when they grow up, and I do, too.”
Even though her 100th birthday is approaching, Sykes is still independent and mobile. She drives herself not only to the gym, but also to the grocery store and to hair appointments, Massimillo said.
“She is simply remarkable,” said the daughter.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, adults ages 65 and older who exercise regularly not only reap physical benefits like lower blood pressure and long-term heart health, but they can also see significant improvements in their mental health. The CDC says active seniors are less likely to develop dementia or depression.
Kathleen Cameron is the executive director of the National Council on Aging’s Center for Healthy Aging in Tallahassee. Although everyone is genetically different, Cameron credits Sykes’ regular exercise and community involvement as the reasons for her continued mental health.
“Loneliness is something that many older adults experience, and isolation and loneliness alone have negative effects on the health of our brain, heart and other organs,” Cameron said. “She’s doing everything right. Really.”
After training, Sykes stands at the entrance door and greets gym-goers with “Hello everyone” or “Bye, have a nice day.” Next to her is a small table with lollipops and peppermints.
“I want people to leave the gym with a sweet taste in their mouth,” Sykes said.
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