Evansville, Indiana

As the third-largest city in Indiana, Evansville does not receive the attention it deserves. It has the distinction of being first in the state for senior athletics, since local annual Senior Games have been held there for over 25 years. The Southwestern Indiana Region Council on Aging (called SWIRCA & More) has been the driving

“Medal Worthy – In More Than One Way” – May 2015 Athlete of the Month

Jane Soeten, 88, Wasilla, Alaska Jane Soeten has earned many medals as a senior athlete, including one gold and two bronze in field events at the 2013 National Senior Games presented by Humana. Last year, however, she picked up a special medal from a very different field of play when she traveled from Wasilla, Alaska

Walk Like a Mississipian

Walk Like a Mississipian – Donna Gonzales, 72, Terry, Mississippi Race walking is an often unappreciated sport. The casual observer might consider its movements quirky, but anyone who has tried it or watched closely will attest to the skill and focus it demands of athletes. Precise technique and endurance, requiring extensive mental and physical preparation,

Biloxi, Mississippi

When we first called longtime volunteer and organizer Lucy Bickham to ask if NSGA could participate in the Celebration of Athletes for the Mississippi Senior Olympics (MSO), she warned us that there might not be more than 50 or 60 people coming. After all, the Mississippi Senior Olympics was merging with the Mississippi Gulf Coast

Rallying Through Life’s Kill Shots

  Photos by: Matt Oleszczak Rallying Through Life’s Kill Shots – Sharon Huczek, 67, Rochester, Michigan If you are looking for a model of perseverance and persistence, you need not look farther than Sharon Huczek. The same would be true if you are looking for a model of an inspirational person who makes a difference

“Carving the Lanes – and Birds” – April 2015 Athlete of the Month

Jim Barksdale, 80 and Jan Weisel, 55 – Steeleville, Missouri Some people take up sports as a hobby. Jim Barksdale of Steeleville, Missouri certainly has fun bowling, but considers his five decades of rolling the rock as a bit more than a hobby. Along the way he has collected a 25 year American Bowling Congress

A Different Kind of Fish Story

A Different Kind of Fish Story – Alexandra Stafford, 54, Metairie, Louisiana NSGA’s Personal Best initiative seeks to inspire an attitude for lifelong health and fitness in everyone by presenting profiles of Senior Games athletes who are successful examples of healthy, active aging. Having a sensible approach to nutrition is one aspect of maintaining a

Cycling Away From Cancer

Cycling Away From Cancer – Michael Adsit, 65, Milford, Pennsylvania Statistics tell us that one of two American men and one of three American women will personally encounter cancer. The good news is that with research and medical advancements, a diagnosis doesn’t always carry the “automatic death sentence” connotation it once had. There are more

The Power of Love

The Power of Love – John C. Taylor, 94, Atlanta, Georgia It’s not just anyone who can say they have done a triathlon in the National Senior Games at the age of 90 or older. In fact, no one but John C. Taylor can make that claim, which was accomplished in 2011 in Houston. Even

Of Mentors, Mountains and Marathons

Of Mentors, Mountains and Marathons – Della Works, 80, Casper, Wyoming At each phase of her life, Della Works hasn’t begun to imagine what the next turn would bring. As a farm girl in Wisconsin, she never saw a mountain while growing up, yet she would find herself avidly hiking and climbing them after she