Pensioners' silver glory

22 November 2006

John Simmons (top) and Larry Franklin.

TWO Burnham pensioners are celebrating this week, after winning silver medals in a sporting event.

Larry Franklin, aged 76, and 70-year-old John Simmons won medals in the Concept2 British Indoor Rowing Championships, held in Birmingham on Sunday.

Larry's time of eight minutes 56.8 seconds in the men's aged 75-79 lightweight category and John's time of seven minutes 35.3 seconds in the men's aged 70-74 lightweight category earned them silver medals at the competition.

The audience of 7,000 were also wowed by the 90-year-old plus category winner, John Hodgson from Leeds who took home a gold medal and a group of students from Pakistan who took part just weeks after first sitting on a rowing machine.