Al Grenier skipped across the tennis court, raised his racquet high and served a fast ball over the net.

It went low, striking the court. The opposing team missed, no match for Grenier on this cold January morning.

“He’s dangerous, too,” his partner, Gary Zane, 71, of Unity quipped.

At 95, Grenier plays tennis twice a week at Champions Fitness Club in Waterville with Zane, as well as Duane Wheeler, 75, of Waterville, and Fred Knapik, 79, of Winslow.

Grenier’s skills belie his age. Fit and trim at 5 feet, 8 inches tall, and 171 pounds, he moves on the court like a teenager, whacking the ball with precision, rarely missing a return.

He knows the terrain well, having played at Champions some 50 years.

“He’s incredible,” said Jason Tardif, head tennis pro at Champions for the last 30 years. “He is a very good player, a good athlete, nimble on his feet, sharp. One of the nicest guys I’ve known since I’ve been here. Remarkable. An inspiration for everyone who plays here.”

It was snowy Tuesday with temps in the single digits outside, but inside the club it was warm, both literally and figuratively. Grenier and the other players joked and traded friendly barbs as they volleyed back and forth.

While the banter was all in fun, Grenier is quite serious about tennis. He also is serious about his health, as I learned during a break. He said he steps on the scale every morning and if he’s a pound over his desired weight, he tweaks his diet.

“Whatever you do, pay attention to yourself and what you’re doing,” he said.

Grenier’s love for athletics began more than 75 years ago while he was a student at Winslow High School, excelling in football, basketball, baseball and track. He has a scrapbook his mother kept that bears newspaper stories of his successes.

Tennis came a bit later. Grenier, who still lives in his hometown, recalled walking home from school after football and stopping at a club on Benton Avenue where businesspeople played tennis, and he’d chase balls for them. He was intrigued with the game but wouldn’t play himself, knowing his classmates viewed it as a sport for “sissies.”

When he was younger, he’d cross the Two Cent Bridge into Waterville to play basketball at the Boys Club with kids like Ted Shiro, John and George Mitchell (former U.S. senator) and Tony Jabar.

Grenier smiled at the memory, recalling good times in Waterville during the 1940s.

“Everything was open, and we’d meet families downtown Friday and Saturday. We used to skate on weekends at a rink on Front Street. Music was playing. We’d jitterbug on skates.”

After graduating from Winslow in 1949, Grenier attended prep school for a year and then college for a semester before entering the Air National Guard. It was during the Korean War, and he was sent to Tripoli, Libya. Eventually, he would earn a business degree from Husson College.

He and his wife, Patricia, now 93, had three children, Jodie, David and Dana, of whom he spoke proudly. Jodie, now McIntyre, was an All-American track athlete who studied and ran track at Holy Cross and later coached at University of Georgia, prompting Grenier to travel with her to many meets and football games nationwide.

He worked in the clothing business, primarily for Lee, and traveled widely. He then represented a few clothing lines on his own, retiring at 64. He travels, helps his wife, takes care of their home, and socializes. He also listens to music — he loves the classics — and maintains a healthful lifestyle.

“You’ve got to have a goal in life,” he said. “I always had a goal, with everything I did. I always wanted to be No 1. I always told my kids, if you’re going to play sports, play, and try to be No. 1. Strive to be good at whatever you’re doing.”

Asked what advice he’d give to young people now, Grenier recommended they be focused and positive.

“Life is not perfect, but you’ve got to be aggressive and stay with it. When you’re down, you’ve got to get yourself up. When you have a hard day, you must get going again.”

Wheeler, former owner of Waterville’s Dairy Queen, has known Grenier for more than 35 years and considers him his best friend. He said old newspaper stories show Grenier repeatedly stood out as a high school athlete and was the leading scorer in most games.

Knapik, who worked many years for Toyota in California, described playing tennis with Grenier as a lot of fun.

“He’s crafty, he’s got guile,” he said.

Zane, retired director of athletics and dean of students at Unity College, acknowledged he was intimidated the first time he played tennis with Grenier, who carried quite a reputation. But that quickly fizzled as he got to know him.

The men often go out for coffee after playing, and Zane noted that if there are young people around, Grenier always makes a point to get to know them and share his wisdom.

He is an inspiration, both on and off the court, according to Zane.

“He lives his life with grace, dignity and gratitude,” he said.

Amy Calder has been a Morning Sentinel reporter 37 years. Her columns appear here Sundays. She is the author of the book, “Comfort is an Old Barn,” a collection of her curated columns, published in 2023 by Islandport Press. She may be reached at [email protected]. For previous Reporting Aside columns, go to centralmaine.com.