Recently we shared the story of how two junior school classmates, Maureen Jardim (nee Cunningham) and Olivia Schaffer (nee Getaz), met up after 55 years at a HiltonVillage.co.za networking meeting. We have since followed the story to their reunion with a favourite physical education teacher, Ruth Stevens. This 89 year old is living proof that exercise is good for you and she was delighted that both her 'girls' still kept in shape and were also healthy.
Ruth thoroughly enjoyed catching up with Maureen and Olivia.
Ruth is the mother of Greer Stevens (now Leo-Smith) who reached the singles ranking of World No. 7 and played at Wimbledon in the quarter finals in singles and doubles back in 1980. She has two grandsons by Greer, Dylan and Brent, who were educated at Hilton College during which time they spent many weekends with their grandmother. These visits included lots of tennis with Ruth enjoying an active game until her grandsons' final years at Hilton College, when she decided it was time to retire her racquet. Ruth said her grandsons continue to keep her up to speed with the times and she enjoys visiting them in Johannesburg.
Maureen recalled Ruth's sage words when coaching tennis, 'Racquet back early. Keep your eye on the ball.'
Ruth pioneered some changes in the rather draconian physical education dress code at the Holy Family Convent. She also got the school to bring on board the first ball machine, and power up the first flood-lit tennis court in Pietermaritzburg.
After two hours spent sharing fond and funny memories the question of us possibly having overstayed our time arose and Ruth promptly interjected that at another reunion, with a different set of girls, they met for lunch and ended up being asked, politely, to leave a little after closing time. We finally did leave, but we all could have chatted the afternoon away, were it not for time constraints.
Maureen is the owner of ZEST Massage and Olivia is the PA to Patrick Greenaway at ActionCOACH.
Picture here from left; Olivia, Ruth Stevens and Maureen.