Portland, Maine
Pictured to the left Becky Dube (left) with Martin’s Point Health Care congratulates Maine Senior Games Coordinator Jo Dill as recipient of their inaugural Medallion Award, while Jerry LeVassaseur displays his Personal Best Award presented by NSGA CEO Marc T. Riker. An enthusiastic throng of Mainers joined to honor 76 year old senior athlete Jerry
- Published in Personal Best Tour Blogs
The Show Must Go On
Jerry LeVasseur, 76, Brunswick, Maine On a hot and sunny July day in 1944, young Jerry LeVasseur and his mother set out from Bristol, Connecticut for an afternoon of fun at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in nearby Hartford. The Big Top was packed with 7,000 fans. As the show began, the
- Published in 2014 PB, Personal Best Featured Athletes
“School is Never Out on Fitness” – May 2014 Athlete of the Month
Dr. Paul Miller, 96, Normal, Illinois When Dr. Paul Miller talks about the importance of exercise and shares his routine, he can’t help if it sounds like he is lecturing. That’s because he is a retired professor of sociology and anthropology from Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, just a few miles from his home in
- Published in Athlete of the Month
“Finding His Rhythm” – April Athlete of the Month
Dave Kirgan, 62, Bowling Green, Kentucky As a race walker, 62 year old Dave Kirgan of Bowling Green, Kentucky knows the importance of finding a rhythm and focusing on fine details to keep moving. He also knows all too well the consequences of falling out of rhythm. A career Air Force man, Dave kept in
- Published in Athlete of the Month
Minneapolis, Minnesota
The 2014 Personal Best Tour kicked off with a reception at The NSGA Annual Conference where 80 year old tennis player Ruby Rott (pronounced “wrote”) of St. Paul was introduced to attendees who manage state Senior Games around the nation. An official presentation event for public and media will be held during the Minnesota Senior
- Published in Personal Best Tour Blogs
Extra-Ordinary
Ruby Rott, 80, Saint Paul, Minnesota When we first invited Ruby Rott to be a Personal Best athlete, she didn’t feel she was worthy of the recognition, instead suggesting another Minnesota tennis player in his 90’s who won two medals at last year’s National Senior Games. After all, she had only finally managed to capture a
- Published in 2014 PB, Personal Best Featured Athletes
For the Love of the Game
Ethel Lehmann, 84, Largo, Florida Baseball was love at first sight from the time Ethel Lehmann was a little girl in New York sitting on her father’s shoulders, watching and cheering along as the hometown hero hit a home run. As a teen that memory resonated when she set softball records and was named team
- Published in 2014 PB, Personal Best Featured Athletes
Soaring Inspiration
Dr. Granville Coggs, 88, San Antonio, Texas “I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.” – From Invictus by William Ernest Henry When he thinks back over an eventful life, Dr. Granville Coggs is both astonished and gratified at the path he has taken and the things he has
- Published in 2014 PB, Personal Best Featured Athletes
By the Numbers
By the Numbers – Jane Kaiser, 65, St. Louis, Missouri Jane Kaiser may not be the most gifted senior athlete, but she just might be the healthiest. It seems fitting that a native of St. Louis would be the poster child for our motto to “Be Your Personal Best.” After all, the Gateway City is
- Published in 2014 PB, Personal Best Featured Athletes
Targeting the Heart
Targeting the Heart – Little Big Eagle, 58, Midland, North Carolina There he stood on the awards podium in Cleveland, proudly celebrating his Gold Medal in archery won at the 2013 National Senior Games Presented by Humana. His name was announced – Little Big Eagle – and it seemed to convey to every observer that this
- Published in 2014 PB, Personal Best Featured Athletes

