Member: Andy Steinfeldt
Featured: Spring 2019 cover story
Life has not slowed down for 75-year-old Andy Steinfeldt since being featured in the spring 2019 edition of thrive. In the last five years, Steinfeldt has continued to stay incredibly active — from competing in the Senior Games to setting world records in planking for his age group — all while continuing his 10-year battle with prostate cancer. We recently caught up with him to talk about his professional singing career, his journey as an athlete and what motivates him to stay active and healthy.
thrive.: A lot has happened since the last time we spoke, and at the time you were battling prostate cancer. How have you been and what have you been up to?
Andy: Well, it’s been interesting. The thrive. article was about my ordeal with cancer, which I’m still participating in. I’m receiving radiation treatment at Mayo, but I’ve managed through various means to keep the disease at a very tiny level, and it has not affected my life at all. I’ve participated in many athletic activities including state and national Senior Games. This year I was in Pittsburgh for the National Senior Games. Last year I was in Fort Lauderdale, and while I was there I broke a world record in planking.
I’ve continued to expand my musical horizons and have recorded songs in many different languages, but mostly I sing at senior facilities several times a week. My workout routine is every day, I’m very active and I have not allowed cancer to set me back a moment.
thrive.: You, like many of our Blue Cross members, have competed in the Senior Games several times. What has that experience been like for you?
Andy: I’ve competed in basketball and then various track events including sprinting, and in various jumps — high jump, long jump and triple jump. It’s a marvelous experience on the state level; I’m very competitive and end up with some medals. It’s a little tougher on the national level as you might imagine. I don’t medal there, but I’m just happy to be there competing.
I hope to continue to do it for as long as I can. There are people there that are in their nineties that are competing pretty well — there are 90-year-old people who are sprinting. It looks a little different than younger people sprinting, but they’re not walking. I’ve got a picture from behind a guy I think was 91 to 92 signing in for the high jump. That’s what inspires me.
thrive.: You’ve recorded over 160 songs and can perform music from the likes of Frank Sinatra to Shania Twain. Do you have a favorite genre of music to perform?
Andy: It kind of changes. I’m very much into Brazilian music and what’s called bolero which is kind of the traditional Spanish ballads. I love singing those, but right now, it’s country. I’m in the process of putting together my third CD, which is country, and which I will have out sometime after the first of the year.
thrive.: On your birthday in March, you plan to attempt another record in planking. What are some other goals you have going forward?
Andy: I’ve run four marathons and I’ve had various injuries prevent me from running any the last couple of years. I’m going to do more, I’ve got a classmate who’s my age who just ran his 117th, so I’ve got a ways to go. I’m usually the oldest person out of thousands in a marathon, and I’m proud of that, but when I see what this guy’s done, that’s what motivates me. I want to keep competing in the Senior Games and getting better — I can always get better at anything, whether it’s running or jumping or singing or whatever. I like sharing my story. My message is whatever you’re doing, you can develop more passions no matter what age you are.
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