Deanne Pryce — More active after retirement

THE squash courts are not going to miss Deanne Pryce, although her colleagues at work will.

The assistant general manager for finance and administration at JN General Insurance Company (JNGI) retired from her post in March, and that means she’s seen more often at the Liguanea Club in St Andrew.

“I want to maintain my body and my mind,” the trim 64-year-old stated. “As you get older, you need to maintain proper muscle mass.”

A 2018 University of Birmingham study compared a group of older people who had exercised all of their lives, with a group of similarly aged adults and younger adults who did not exercise regularly. The study of cyclists aged 57 to 80, who exercised regularly, showed them having the immunity, muscle mass, and cholesterol levels of people in the younger group, aged 20 to 36.

“I play squash twice per week,” Pryce said at her retirement function which was held at the Spanish Court Hotel in St Andrew in May.

“Playing squash keeps me fit and I have also been doing some gym work.”

She pointed out that squash is fun, easy to learn, and can be played at any age. It was also rated by Forbes Magazine as the healthiest sport in the world, while also promoting mental well-being.

“It gives you a vigorous workout,” Pryce said, adding that, “The sport helps to keep my mind young.”

Chris Hind, general manager of JNGI, who is also president of the Jamaica Squash Association, can attest to her fitness on the job and on court.

“Deanne is an integral part of the Jamaican squash community and represented Jamaica at the senior level in the regional competitions in previous years. She has a strong game and is a dangerous player to come up against,” he said at her retirement function.

And she performed creditably, going down 21-18, 21-8 and 21-17 to Jonathan Todd at the 2017 Liguanea Club Open Squash Championships.

Hind said that Pryce’s competence on the job was demonstrated in her role at JNGI as assistant general manager, finance and administration, where she managed several projects, including the total renovation of the King Street head office.

Thanking the JNGI team for their support, Pryce said she was looking forward to an active retirement.

“I became a Justice of the Peace a year ago so that I can be of service to my community,” the chartered accountant explained. “And I play Scrabble and word puzzles. I don’t have a green thumb, but I will certainly pay more attention to my garden now that I have more free time.”

She also continues in her role as treasurer of the Jamaica Squash Association.

“You need to keep a young mind and you need exercise,” she mused. “I need to keep in shape, and that means squash and the gym for me.”