At 91, Carla Convery Offers Lessons for Life

“I really like aging. If it didn’t lead to death, it would be perfect,” remarked local athlete Carla Convery.

Convery, who turns 91 today, has truly made the most of aging. She enjoys running marathons, bowling, long jumping, throwing the javelin and discus, and winning medals in sport after sport across the nation.

Convery recalls, with a schoolgirl giggle, running as a child all over her hometown, Merate, in Italy behind her older brother who was buzzing around on his bicycle.  Locals called her “that crazy girl.”  Back then, she was Carla Cesarina Bonfanti.

She was such a good runner that she qualified for the 1940 Olympics in Helsinki, Finland, but the events were cancelled because of World War II.  Over the years, she has accumulated awards in many competitions — senior Olympics, the Golden Age Games, Senior Nationals, the Virginia Commonwealth Games, and the National Senior Games, to name a few. Last year, she competed in the discus, frisbee and javelin.

“I love it,” she commented. Convery has a javelin of her own.

According to her close friend Kate, although Convery no longer runs, she does plan on competing in the Senior Games again this year. She will compete in the yo-yo, bocce ball, and discus events. 

Convery throws a turbo javelin, which is a smaller, lightweight javelin that feels like an actual javelin. 

Convery has an enthusiastic fan club at the Hollin Hall Senior Center, where she volunteers as its greeter three times a week.  The men coming for exercise always salute her with a hearty “Buon giorno!” 

“Carla epitomizes a senior citizen remaining young in spirit and at heart by constantly challenging her mind and body. At 91 years young, she is an inspiration,” remarked Mount Vernon District Supervisor Gerry Hyland, who Convery calls her "buddy.”

Though she was born and raised in Italy, she has lasting ties to Mount Vernon. At the end of World War II she married an American soldier, Bill Convery, who was later assigned to Fort Belvoir. At night, he cooked at Mike’s Italian Restaurant on Route 1 and they lived in a small cabin behind the restaurant.  Carla was the restaurant’s bookkeeper. Her sons became waiters at Mike’s and she eventually bought the restaurant.

Her husband died in a military accident, leaving her with two adolescent boys, Bill and Danny, whom she raised in her home in Mount Zephyr where she still resides. Her sons live nearby and she has five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Convery was also active in the Mount Vernon Lions Club and received one of their most prestigious awards for her community work.

She was an original member of the Hollin Hall Senior Center and proudly recalls painting the walls to ready it for its opening in 1983. She taught exercise classes at the center for 26 years and served on the Advisory Council as its secretary and treasurer. 

“Just as a whole, she’s someone to be admired and looked up to for everything she’s done for Hollin Hall and her passion for health and wellness," says Julie Ellis with the Hollin Hall Senior Center. "She’s an example."

But her real love is sports. Two rooms of her home are crammed with trophies, awards, medals, ribbons, certificates and letters from notables.  She has 30 bulging photo albums that catalog her athletic accomplishments — Carla running, Carla sprinting, Carla doing the long jump, Carla throwing the javelin, Carla bedecked with ribbons and medals. 

Why does she run?  “It’s cheaper than therapy,” she quipped.

 “You don’t stop playing because you grow old.  You grow old because you stop playing. And being around people makes me healthy.”