Cleveland, Ohio
There were so many reasons to have our 7th event in Cleveland during the 2013 National Senior Games Presented by Humana. Six athletes featured on our web page were not included in the tour and deserved to have their Personal Best Award moment. It was an opportunity to share a multimedia recap the tour to date and invite as many of the featured athletes to be introduced again. It was also a way to celebrate the Personal Best attitude that all senior games athletes share. And what a celebration it was. Nine of the 14 athletes we’ve profiled were among the 150 or more athletes that came to the stage at the Village sponsored by AstraZeneca to enjoy the fun and surprises.
What surprises, you ask? The biggest “wow” came when 60 year old track and field champion Kay Glynn was brought onstage. NSGA’s Marc T. Riker told how she had courageously put off hip replacement surgery to be in the games and commented “I guess you won’t be doing any cartwheels and handstands to warm up as you’ve always done.” Glynn said “Oh yeah?” and launched into a 3 minute “Old Time Rock and Roll” routine (click on the Youtube image above).
Another emotional surprise happened when we brought up Elli Edgar’s badminton partner and presented her with a Personal Best award because of her perseverance with many of the same challenges that Edgar faced. We also introduced swimmer John Tatum’s extended family of supporters who came to Cleveland from Washington DC to cheer him on. We also recognized Jackie Stephens’ NOVA United basketball team members in the crowd.
There was yet another reason for this Cleveland event: Shellie Pfohl, executive director of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition, traveled from the nation’s capital to show support for our fitness message. Pfohl (shown above with John Tatum) also stayed an extra day to see some competition action. After her comments, NSGA CEO Marc T. Riker and Pfohl signed an agreement onstage making NSGA an official President’s Challenge Advocate. As an advocate, NSGA will promote their Adult Fitness Challenge in our communications and NSGA will have its logo and name on the Council website. In addition, Pfohl suggested they will try to get some of their celebrity spokespeople to future NSGA and Personal Best events.
Of our first six profile athletes, Mark Ballenger, Kay Glynn and DeEtte Sauer were in attendance to receive their awards. Of the remaining three, Mary Lauffer and Howard Hall had conflicts due to competition schedules, and our “100,000 mile man” Mike Fanelli unfortunately had to cancel his trip to Cleveland due to a medical condition that requires surgery. Riker read a passionate note from Fanelli pledging to make a return in 2015 that evoked an ovation from the gathering.
But we weren’t done when the show ended. The next day Riker and Pfohl snuck up on the crafty Howard Hall and made an impromptu surprise award presentation to the 92 year old Kentuckian moments after he won a silver medal in the 100 meter finals at the track stadium.
You are missing out if haven’t read all of the inspiring profiles of these Personal Best athletes. You can also revisit the first six profiles with their final journal entries posted after the Games. Read how the journey turned out for Mark, DeEtte, Howard, Mary, Mike and Kay in their Personal Best profiles.
Personal Best Information Homepage For more information: Del Moon, NSGA Communications and Media DM***@**GA.com 225.202.5719
- Published in Personal Best Tour Blogs
“This One’s for Mom and Dad” – July 2013 Athlete of the Month
Linn Dunton, 56, Pine Valley, California
In August of 2007, Linn Dunton of Pine Valley, California was enjoying a full life as a teacher, track coach, wife and mother of four. With one phone call she was thrown into a battle for her life with a diagnosis of breast cancer. She says she put it into remission “with hard work, determination, discipline, a radical lifestyle change, surgery and much prayer.”
It was a difficult year as Linn, now 56, had to give up her 12 year stint of coaching and then lost her mother, Sally Polk, who had been her high school track coach and a world class senior thrower before a leg amputation ended her career. “She was self taught and did not start throwing until she was in her 50’s. We enjoyed competing in two Masters National Championships together. My father was also a senior thrower and is one of my greatest supporters.”
Upon attending her mother’s memorial service in New Mexico, Linn found her mother’s throwing equipment. She was inspired to restore them and begin competing again. The doctors did not think she would be able to throw after her surgery, but Linn persevered and is now in her fifth year throwing hammer, shot, discus, javelin and weight throw in masters and senior games.
“I began training and competing with my mother’s implements. It was a very emotional moment as I stood on the victory stand to receive my Javelin Gold Medal at the 2010 Indoor World Games in Canada. The journey to that victory stand had been made possible by the love and support of my family, friends and other senior athletes. Every time I train and compete I know I am making my mother and father proud.”
The 2013 National Senior Games Presented by Humana will be her first. She will have a final tune up in New Mexico with her sister, Sani Withers, herself a former collegiate
thrower and high school coach. Her ailing father, Gene Polk, will also be there for the big send off. She is excited to share this experience with her roommate, Linda Cohn (American record holder in javelin). “I am thankful to the NSGA for providing opportunities for athletes like myself to do what we love, to make new friends and to encourage and inspire others along the way. Let the fun begin!”
- Published in Athlete of the Month
The Long Run – July 2013
Association News Personal Best Tour Rocks Chicago, Il and Canton, OH The hits just keep on coming. What better way to highlight the rock and roll theme of the 2013 National Senior Games Presented by Humana in Cleveland than to recruit a real rock and roll star to help get out our Personal Best message one month before The Games? Grammy winner Jim Peterik, whose songs represent more than 70 million record sales, made our June 19 Personal Best Tour event in Chicago truly special with a mini-concert of four songs, including his iconic sports anthems “Eye of the Tiger” and “Burning Heart” from the films Rocky III and Rocky IV respectively. Peterik also spoke of his own fitness challenge, assisted in presenting fellow Chicagoan Bob O’Connor with a Personal Best Award, posed for photos with the Illinois athletes in attendance and recorded video messages about the personal best theme for us to share. Music and interview clips are now posted on the NationalSeniorGames Youtube channel for your enjoyment.
Canton Presentation Two days later we joined the kickoff breakfast for Ohio’s state senior games at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton to give recognition to another Personal Best athlete, Leurene Hildenbrand from nearby Hartville. On hand for the presentation was former college and NFL quarterback Todd Blackledge, who currently serves as an analyst for ESPN college football coverage. Athletes in the senior games movement are examples and inspirations for everyone to be as fit and healthy as they can be. Read about Bob and Leurene’s life journeys in our gallery of athlete profiles and blogs on the Personal Best Page.
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Game On!
Follow the Games Action Online in The 2013 Daily News Whether attending or not, the best place to keep up with what’s going on at the National Senior Games is to read the online Daily News, with content supplied by our hard working National Senior Games Media Center team. We are going green in Cleveland by reducing our daily printing to a handout flyer with highlights and lists of activities. Participants will be directed to the online Daily News site for complete Games coverage. In the Cleveland Convention Center, numerous Internet stations will be set up to provide instant access to the Daily News in the Cyber Cafe sponsored by AstraZeneca. So now athletes, families and friends everywhere can follow along as it happens and also revisit and reminisce later with the online Daily News. Simply go to the link below or type www.NSGA.com/2013-games-daily-news.aspx to read all about it.
Save The Date: Personal Best Cleveland event July 24 If you are in Cleveland on Wednesday, July 24 you will not want to miss our Personal Best event starting at 6:00 pm on stage in The Village sponsored by AstraZeneca. Our special guest is Executive Director Shellie Pfohl of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition, who is excited to come in from Washington DC to observe competition and share the Council’s fitness message that closely aligns with our own. The event will feature Personal Best award presentations, a multimedia recap of our tour to date, plus some entertaining and emotional surprises that you will just have to be there to discover. We promise it will be fun! |
HUMANA Heroes: Athlete of the Month This One’s for Mom and Dad In August of 2007, Linn Dunton of Pine Valley, California was enjoying a full life as a teacher, track coach, wife and mother of four. With one phone call she was thrown into a battle for her life with a diagnosis of breast cancer. She says she put it into remission “with hard work, determination, discipline, a radical lifestyle change, surgery and much prayer.” It was a difficult year as Linn, now 56, had to give up her 12 year stint of coaching and then lost her mother, Sally Polk, who had been her high school track coach and a world class senior thrower before a leg amputation ended her career. “She was self taught and did not start throwing until she was in her 50’s. We enjoyed competing in two Masters National Championships together. My father was also a senior thrower and is one of my greatest supporters.” Upon attending her mother’s memorial service in New Mexico, Linn found her mother’s throwing equipment. She was inspired to restore them and begin competing again. The doctors did not think she would be able to throw after her surgery, but Linn persevered and is now in her fifth year throwinghammer, shot, discus, javelin and weight throw in masters and senior games. “I began training and competing with my mother’s implements. It was a very emotional moment as I stood on the victory stand to receive my Javelin Gold Medal at the 2010 Indoor World Games in Canada. The journey to that victory stand had been made possible by the love and support of my family, friends and other senior athletes. Every time I train and compete I know I am making my mother and father proud.” The 2013 National Senior Games Presented by Humana will be her first. She will have a final tune up in New Mexico with her sister, Sani Withers, herself a former collegiate thrower and high school coach. Her ailing father, Gene Polk, will also be there for the big send off. She is excited to share this experience with her roommate, Linda Cohn (American record holder in javelin). “I am thankful to the NSGA for providing opportunities for athletes like myself to do what we love, to make new friends and to encourage and inspire others along the way. Let the fun begin!” |
Senior Health and WellnessFree Physical Fitness Screenings for Athletes in Cleveland Athletes, when you visit the Village sponsored by AstraZeneca in the Cleveland Convention Center you are encouraged to participate in a free physical fitness screening being offered by Doctor of Physical Therapy students and faculty from The University of South Dakota and Cleveland State University in collaboration with the NSGA. This opportunity is part of a research study aimed to create a screen specifically for Senior Games participants at the state and national level. The free screening can provide increased awareness of your current state of flexibility, strength, balance and cardiovascular health, which could help with future fitness endeavors and assist in injury prevention. Screenings take approximately 20-30 minutes to complete, and you will be provided with an explanation of your results from a physical therapist. This fitness screening was also offered during The Games in Houston. If you participated then, plan to take the screening again in Cleveland and see how well you have improved!
Personal Best Athletes Talk About Fitness and Nutrition in July Updates The July profile updates for six of our Personal Best athletes reveal observations about their fitness and nutrition. Read and share our profiles and tour blogs at the Personal Best page at NSGA.com |
NSGA Online Merchandise Store Now OpenGet your Games gear today!
Now you can be the first on your block to wear NSGA and 2013 Senior Games gear with the opening of The NSGA Store at www.NSGA.com. With a couple of clicks, you can view and select from the first line of apparel to be made available featuring the official logo of the 2013 Senior Games. More items will be added as the games get closer. Of course, a wide range of merchandise will be available for sale at multiple venues during the games, but you’ll want to grab something early to let everyone know you’re an athlete in the senior games movement. So get in gear now! |
- Published in Newsletter