12-14 June 2008: Charles gave a talk on ‘Life After Dentistry’ at the International College of Dentists in Athens.
Click here to read it.
April 2008: Charles was interviewed by Swiss magazine Dropa Balance - to see the cutting visit Charles' photo gallery, p2.
April 2008: Charles' wakeboarding experience was featured in the Pauline magazine - to see the cutting visit Charles' photo gallery, p1.
December 2007: Rowing & Regatta magazine printed an article about 87 year old rowers, reproducing a photograph of Charles with three other veterans nearly as old as him. The picture was captioned "Four of the Golden Eight".
25th October 2007: Charles participated in a TV talk-show with one of Switzerland's most famous moderators, Kurt Aeschbacher, live on prime time. To see the interview click here.
October 2007: Charles appears in People magazine - to see the cutting visit Charles' photo gallery, p2.
September 13 & 14 2007: Charles spoke at the Generationenforum organised by the World Demographic Association.
September 2007: Charles Eugster Wins Three More World Masters Gold Medals
In this year’s World Masters Regatta in Zagreb, Charles Eugster won three more Gold medals – in the Coxed Fours, Mixed Eights and in a Mixed Pair with Pauline Rainer (67).
The performance now lifts his tally of Masters Gold medals to 26 (20 World and 6 European) and extends his unbroken run of Gold medals to 11 years.
At the age of 88, Charles was the oldest competitor at the event. He said: “Whilst I was the oldest there, I didn’t get all the limelight because a good friend on mine looks older than me - so he was photographed more!”
31st May 2007: Charles Reports on His Wakeboarding Experience
On Friday May 25th I was invited by the founders of www.MapleandLeek.com, a new web site for the over 50s, to come to the UK to try my hand at wakeboarding, which is rather like water skiing on a small surf board.
This was the first time that I have done anything like this and my verdict is: “jolly good fun”. However you need to be pretty strong and luckily I have a few muscles!
As it turned out the weather on the day was freezing cold and very windy – so much so that I had to wear two wet suits and what was effectively body armour, as one can hit the water with real force.
I had about three trial runs, whereby one hangs onto a pole jutting out of the side of a moving motor boat. One's feet, facing forward, are firmly fixed to a horizontal board, which resembles a snow-board. As all of my trial runs were successful, I decided to try the real thing.
This entails sitting in the water in a crouching position, with the board horizontal, feet facing forward and hands holding on to a bar at the end of which is a rope attached to the boat. As the boat moves, one must slowly stand up, which requires a great deal of balance and strength since the horizontal board offers considerable resistance. While doing so, one must turn the hip forward so that the feet face outwards and the board faces forward too. This is the moment when one rapidly picks up speed and starts to fly over the water.
At my very first attempt I had a wonderful and successful run. However pride comes before a fall… and, probably due to the exertion and cold, I fell on my face at the next two attempts!
Nevertheless, I was still pleased because, on the day, I was the only novice who stood up successfully and the next oldest person was at least 30 years younger than me. I certainly don’t think I could have managed to do it without my bodybuilding training and I was also greatly assisted by the instructor, who was superb.
Overall, I had a great time and was able to make the point to a few interested reporters that one is never too old to try anything.
5th February 2007: Charles was granted arms by Her Majesty Queen Elisabeth II in recognition of his distinguished career as a dentist.
December 2006 - June 2007: The Prosenectute Exhibition in Zug, Switzerland, features photographs of Charles.
10th September 2006: Charles Wins Two Gold Medals at World Masters Regatta. Charles won Gold Medals in both the Mixed Eights and Mixed Pairs events.
10th September 2006: New York Daily News. For more details, please click here
9th September 2006: Charles was interviewed live by Peter Greenberg on Travel Today with Peter Greenberg
9th September 2006: The Times (Princeton New Jersey) reports on Charles and the World Masters Regatta. For more details, please click here
9th September 2006: The Star-Ledger (New Jersey) reports on Charles and the World Masters Regatta. For more details, please click here
8th September 2006: The Fairmount Log, the New Jersey news on-line, Rowing News and World Rowing all reported on Charles competing in the World Masters Regatta
Summer 2006: Comunicato Stampa, Rowing Rumania and Ruden reported on Charles' wins at the European Masters Regatta
19th July 2006: Charles is featured on German TV, Sat3. For more details, please click here
17th July 2006: Charles is featured in Neue Zurcher Zeitung
16th June 2006: Charles is featured on Swiss Television
Charles is the subject of a feature on QUER on SF1. For more details, please follow this link www.sf.tv/sf1/quer/index.php?docid=20060616
June 2006: Charles Wins Two Gold Medals at European Masters Regatta in Munich and Receives a special Recognition Medal from the Munich Olympic Rowing Federation. Charles won Gold Medals in both the Men's Pair, with Felix Protti, and the Mixed Eight events
June 2006: Oldest Gold Medallist Ever at European Masters Regatta
When Charles Eugster competed at this year's European Masters Regatta in Munich, he was the oldest competitor ever to take part in the event and certainly the oldest winner, taking home two gold medals, in the Double Skulls and the Mixed Eights.
In the Double Skulls, Charles was paired with Felix Protti, aged 80. Together they were the crew with the highest average age too.
Charles is not planning to slow down. In September, he will travel to Princeton to take part in the World Masters and he is also contemplating an attempt to break the world record for 2000m on the Ergometer rowing machine next February, in the 85-89 category.
Charles is more than a dedicated sportsman; he has become an enthusiastic campaigner for weight training in old age. He recently took up body building and is thrilled with the results, which include greater physical strength and endurance.
He believes that if more elderly people would take up exercise with weights there would be a cut in state medical expenses, claiming that numerous studies show that progressive resistance training helps combat muscle wastage and osteoporosis, even for people in their nineties.
To help focus attention on his message, Charles is planning to enter a body building competition next year and has engaged Francois Gay, a former Mr Universe to help him prepare for it.
Charles said: "I am truly amazed by how positive the results are for the investment of a relatively modest amount of time in the gym. However, given the enormous benefits, I am equally staggered by how little notice people seem to want to take."
May 2006: Grasshopper Gains its Oldest New Member
The Rowing section of Grasshopper recently accepted a new active member at the age of 86 years. He is Charles Eugster.
Charles is probably the world's oldest competitive oarsman, having won Gold medals every year for the past 10 years at the World and European Masters rowing events - 21 in total (18 World and 3 European).
Charles is not planning to slow down. This June, he will compete at the Euro Masters in Munich , paired with Felix Protti (aged 80) in the double skulls; (this will be the oldest crew ever). In September, he will travel to Princeton to take part in the World Masters.
Charles has always felt an emotional bond to Grasshoppers. He says: "The atmosphere at the club is great and I have always felt at home here. My father played Soccer in the first team in 1900/01, when Grasshopper earned promotion to Switzerland 's top league. His picture, with the other players of that season, is still hanging on the wall of the club restaurant. My' son, Andre, was also a member of the Grasshopper Squash Club."
Before joining Grasshopper's, Charles was a long-standing member of Belvoir RC.
Charles is an enthusiastic campaigner for weight training in old age. He recently took up body building and is amazed by the results, which include greater physical strength and endurance.
He believes that if more elderly people would take up weight training there would be a cut in state medical expenses, claiming that numerous studies show that progressive resistance training helps combat muscle wastage and osteoporosis, even for people in their nineties.
To help focus attention on this message, Charles is planning to enter a body building competition next year and has engaged Francois Gay, a former Mr Universe to help him prepare for it. He is also contemplating an attempt to break the world record for 2000m on the Ergometer rowing machine next February, in the 85-89 category.
Charles concluded: "I am truly amazed by how positive the results are for the investment of a relatively modest amount of time weight training. However, given the enormous benefits, I am equally staggered by how little notice people want to take."
September 2005: US Rowing magazine reported on Charles' participation at the European Masters' Regatta, Strathclyde, as the oldest competitor.
March 2007: Charles was featured in Swiss Life magazine on the 150th anniversary of the Swiss Life company.
