The Long Run May 2023
GAME ON!
Competition, Fun Highlight Softball Championship
The 2023 National Senior Games Softball Championship has been completed in Columbus and champions have been crowned. The weather started cold and wet but was followed by three great days of play. The Berliner Sports Complex did not disappoint the athletes, and the athlete celebration and Parade of Teams by state was spirited at the Columbus Clippers game. Watch the scoreboard video of the parade here!
We have also opened 2023 Softball Photo Gallery – check it out at this link.
Read about the event and find media coverage links and a list of the Gold Medal teams in our wrapup story on NSGA.com.
NSGA News and Events – Softball Championship
2023 Registration – Nearly 11,500!
We’re happy to report that nearly 11,500 athletes have registered to compete at the 2023 National Senior Games presented by Humana! We’ll have an exact number for you next month. This total includes the participants in the Softball Championship. On to Pittsburgh!
Pittsburgh: Online Hotel Booking is Still Available
* Terms and conditions apply.
You’re registered – now where to stay? If you haven’t already used our online booking service, there is still some inventory of guaranteed low price rooms available. Our Official Housing Partner Team Travel Source negotiated blocks of rooms at properties around Pittsburgh, and you won’t find a better price for them than here.
Check out the remaining options and save. Also, remember that when you book online with Team Travel Source you are automatically entered into a drawing for a Mediterranean Cruise for Two!
Here’s a Sneak Peek at the Gold Medal!
It’s always cool to see what the medals will look like for each National Senior Games. The logo and medal design for each Games is always different with elements that highlight the host city. Pittsburgh is the City of Bridges, so the bridge image was an easy choice.
Pittsburgh is also known as the City of Champions, and we are bringing thousands of champions devoted to successful aging to add to the legacy. There’s your Gold – Go get ‘em!
Flame Arrival Ceremony to Feature Rooftop Drone Show
The trend is growing to present beautiful drone flight light shows as an alternative to fireworks. The Flame Arrival Ceremony is set for Saturday, July 8th and will be held in a new rooftop terrace space at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. The drone show provided by Sky Elements will be in a spectacular setting overlooking the Allegheny River and downtown.
The Torch Run will begin at the Willie Stargell statue by PNC Park and cross the Rachel Carson Bridge into the convention center and will arrive at a cauldron specifically homemade in the Steel City.
Also, save the date for the Celebration of Athletes on Friday, July 14th which will be hosted by the Pittsburgh Pirates at the iconic PNC Park, with on-field recognition and the Parade of Athletes happening prior to the game. Athletes will be admitted free with reserved lower level seats. Discounted friends and family tickets in our sections will be $15 per ticket (normally $40+) before fees. Registered athletes with a valid email address in our database will be sent an email in the next week or so to claim their free ticket and to purchase friends and family tickets.
The Andy Warhol Museum
Get Ready for a Sensational Summer in Pittsburgh
Plenty of exciting new experiences wait for you in Pittsburgh. From engaging cultural exhibits and friendly golf competitions to KidsBURGH celebrations and new craft food and beverage locations, your Pittsburgh itinerary is about to get a boost in fun!
Opening in May at The Andy Warhol Museum, The Velvet Underground & Nico: Scepter Studio Sessions will allow visitors to experience audio and visual highlights of the band, including music from its early recordings in 1966, as well as unseen footage from the band’s live performances and Warhol’s screen tests. The exhibit will run from May 12 through Sept. 25, and more information can be found at warhol.org.
New upscale mini golf venues in the Strip District put a modern spin on this typical leisure activity. Exclusive to visitors 21 years and older, the recently opened Puttery offers a variety of cocktails and small plates paired with three themed, nine-hole course. Similarly, Puttshack, slated to open later this summer, will allow a family-friendly mini golf experience with modern technology, colorful lights and great food – until 8 p.m., when it also shifts to a 21+ model, adding a variety of crafted cocktails to the mix.
Recent enhancements made at PNC Park are sure to delight foodies and sports fanatics alike throughout the 2023 Pittsburgh Pirates season. Eating at PNC Park is a culinary adventure, and now, guests will have access to several new beer markets and eateries as well as a walk-in, grab-and-go market with touchless self-checkout. Plus, the stadium also is utilizing Evolv technology to simplify and speed up the entry process at each gate.
Additionally, Pittsburgh’s food and craft beverage scene continues to grow throughout Pittsburgh’s 90 neighborhoods. There are numerous new dining experiences that will excite the tastebuds of every foodie, including: Ritual House Downtown, Viet Nom Nom in Squirrel Hill, Sultry F&B and Piper’s Pub in South Side Flats – and, Fish Nor Fowl recently reopened! New additions in craft beverage include: Aslin Beer Co. in the Strip District, Big Sewickley Creek in Sewickley, Back Alley Brewing in Dormont and a new East End Brewing Company location in Mt. Lebanon.
Finally, this summer is a big milestone for two of Pittsburgh’s family-friendly attractions, as Kennywood and the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium are celebrating 125 years with visitors. Kennywood boasts exciting additions this season, including a new, thrill-seeking ride, Spinvasion, the return of popular Raging Rapids and a variety of new food and beverage options.
Learn more about these new experiences, attractions and more at VisitPITTSBURGH.com.
MAY ATHLETE OF THE MONTH
Keryl Rustin, 74
Kearneysville, West Virginia
Running Blind…with Faith, Motivation and Tenacity
By Del Moon
You won’t find a more determined person than Keryl (pronounced “Curl”) Rustin. She adapted to being born visually impaired, finished school, raised three children and had a satisfying working career at a VA hospital in West Virginia.
Then, at the age of 52 a rare neurological condition gradually took the rest of her sight. Now what?
“It was challenging for me to go through losing my sight before I began running,” she recalls. “I was fighting depression and wondering where my life journey would go. But I pulled myself back up and did not want to play the pity game any longer. Even though I was blind I am capable of doing things and I had the initiative and the motivation to learn and participate in society.”
Keryl started running in 2020, enjoyed the experience and has since completed 15 races, mostly 5Ks. She could not find a trainer who would work with her, but she found a powerful ally and spirit coach who helped her become a competitive runner – her granddaughter.
“It wasn’t pre-planned. During COVID my granddaughter Gabbi and I went out for regular walks, and one day I told her I wanted to run,” she shares. Gabbi said, ‘You can do it Grandma!’ and it started that way.
“I have never been tethered,” she continued. “Gabbi would just give me instructions like, ‘Grandma, go right’ or ‘Grandma there’s a car coming’ or ‘Grandma, there’s gravel on the road.’ Imagine that – a seven-year-old girl was giving me cues!”
For her races Keryl would find a guide to run alongside, which is permitted in the rules. In 2021 she became the first blind person to run the Maryland Senior Olympics 5K. Next was the 2022 National Senior Games presented by Humana, where she was unexpectedly faced with the ultimate challenge she could imagine.
“My friend Kat Hansen accompanied me to Florida. She’s not a runner but she found an app that I could use to direct me on the course. But the day of the race she couldn’t get it to work and told me there’s no way I could do the race. I replied, ‘I’m here and I’m going to do it even if I have to crawl.’”
Incredibly, Keryl said a prayer and ran the 5K along the beach in Fort Lauderdale unassisted and unnoticed.
Her plan was to listen and follow the footsteps of the other runners. “It was challenging for me to stay in the middle, and I wasn’t able to keep up at times,” she says. “I knocked down a few cones on the way when I got behind. But I’m so grateful to the other runners because they were yelling at me to go to the right or the left to get by. They didn’t even know I was blind, or how much they were helping me complete the race.”
Keryl had no words to describe the experience. “I cried like a baby after it all. The people I met didn’t question me about my abilities, they accepted and embraced me as an individual. The conversations were about camaraderie more than about my blindness.”
She now sees a bright future with running and can’t wait to run the 5K in Pittsburgh. “I am definitely hooked! There’s nothing like it,” she proclaims. “If I’m feeling sad or pessimistic I go out and run or do brisk walking and I feel so free. The ‘runner’s high’ people talk about definitely happens for me.”
What is her advice for others wanting to try something new? “They need to have faith in oneself, motivation, and tenacity. If they incorporate even one of those things they can overcome. But people are visual and just saying words to them doesn’t always have an impact. When I use myself as an example and share the challenges that I overcame, then they get it.”
What’s YOUR story? To nominate a fellow athlete…
CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT A STORY
SENIOR HEALTH & WELL-BEING
Help The Games, Help Pittsburgh and Help Yourself to a Good Feeling!
By Andrew Walker, MPH; Director of Health & Well-Being
With 11,000+ athletes from all over the country competing in the 2023 National Senior Games presented by Humana, more than 3,000 volunteers will be needed to create a successful event in Pittsburgh, PA.
While the deadline to register for this year’s competitions has passed. Pittsburghers and others can still participate by registering to volunteer. Historically, we always see athletes who want to help when they are not in competition, and we are inspired by their spirit of serving their peers.
The benefits of volunteering are well documented. Health science research shows that volunteering improves lives. You will get a boost to your well-being in many ways, including:
- contributing to mental well-being
- providing long term health benefits
- generating social capital
- gaining new skills
- increased social interaction
- creating corporate and nonprofit visibility
In addition to boosting your well-being, your presence and assistance as a volunteer substantially contributes to one of the largest age friendly events in Pittsburgh since the Games were last hosted there in 2005. The Games will produce significant economic impact and generate social capital for the City of Champions.
The Western Pennsylvania region will witness the beauty of active aging, building on efforts of the Age-Friendly Greater Pittsburgh initiative. The Games can make a significant contribution to one the goals of the initiative, which is to change perceptions about older adults and combat ageism. More than 10,000 athletes over the age of 50 will show Pittsburgh and the world the joy of active aging, thus making a positive contribution to their campaign.
“Not everybody can be famous but everybody can be great, because greatness is determined by service.” ― Martin Luther King Jr.
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NSG OFFICIAL APPAREL
2023 National Senior Games Merchandise Available Online!
2023 National Senior Games merchandise is available from the NSGA Online Store. You can also check out 2023 Softball Championship apparel.
Get in gear – Click here for the NSGA Online Store.
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- Published in Newsletter
Competition, fun highlight the 2023 National Senior Games Softball Championship in Columbus
Tournament had many Ohio connections
When senior Softball came to Columbus, Ohio for the 2023 National Senior Games Softball Championship presented by Humana, it became apparent there were a lot of direct and coincidental connections to the Buckeye State.
More than 1,500 athletes age 50 and older from around the country competed for age division medals at the Lou Berliner Sports Park between May 3-6. The event included 94 teams, 73 female and 21 male. 
Thirteen teams and a total of 163 athletes (more than ten percent of the national tournament) were Ohio-based, including eight Columbus area athletes.
“That’s an impressive showing for the host state,” National Senior Games Association (NSGA) Interim CEO Sue Hlavacek commented. “The in-staters knew what a great playing venue Berliner is, and our visiting athletes appreciated the consistent fields and amenities. We really wanted to hit a home run with this event, and based on the feedback I think our team created a great athlete experience.”
There’s more to the Ohio theme. The oldest player was 92-year-old Joanne Sogan of North Cantion, Ohio. Her team, the Ohio Tri Stars, had the highest average team age at 81.2 years. Add to this the coincidence that Hlavacek is an Ohio native who lives in Cleveland, and that Jack Shinnock, Chair of the NSGA Board of Directors, resides in the Columbus area.
The first pitch honors went to Tracy Gockel of Mentor, Ohio who pitches for the 55+ NE Ohio Hot Flashes. She was accompanied by Sue Hlavacek and Angela Dean, Humana’s Director of Brand Strategy. Steee-rike!
The week began with early rain and temperatures in the 40’s on Wednesday, but when the sun came out the players enjoyed three days of great softball weather through Saturday. With the weather forecast showing heavy rain on Sunday, Hlavacek met with Tournament Director Dana Brown, the Ohio USA Softball Commissioner and Team Captains who agreed it was best to play out the remaining championship brackets on Saturday evening to avoid long weather delays. “Berliner features turf infields and the outfields have excellent drainage, but we all felt it was best to continue the games,” Hlavacek noted.
For the May 5th Athlete Celebration players were treated to a baseball game between the Columbus Clippers and the Iowa Cubs. A line of more than 1,000 players stretched the entire perimeter of the outfield fence at Huntington Park for the pregame Parade of States. The joy of being together for another National Senior Games was apparent as they marched around and up to their complimentary seats.
The event earned media coverage in the state, including the syndicated Ohio Sports Magazine radio show interview with Communications and Media Director Del Moon (listen here). Two TV stations came out to cover the event. Cam Fontana with Fox 28’s morning show in Columbus featured five live segments from the park, including interview with Joanne Sogan plus interviews with staff and athletes. The highlight was Cam taking an at bat against the 75+ Tri Stars and getting legitimately put out at third base after smacking a screaming liner into left center.
There was another great feature on Sogan by ABC 10’s Amy Steigerwald which you can view here. Columbus Business Now also published a nice article (sorry, it’s only available for subcribers.)
NSGA will also post a 2023 Softball Photo Gallery online soon.
The event is tied to the biennial National Senior Games, one of the largest multisport events in the world since 1987. The 2023 Games are set for July 7-18 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with 20 sports to be contested there. However, when it was determined that there were not enough competition-ready senior softball fields to accommodate the number of teams, the Pittsburgh host organization and NSGA agreed moving the softball competition to the Berliner Sports Park in Columbus would ensure the athletes would have an excellent experience.
NSGA thanks the Greater Columbus Sports Commission and the City of Columbus for partnering with us to host the Championship. GCSC Marketing Manager Matthew McGreevey commented to local media that they expect the economic impact from the tournanment to approach $2 million.
2023 Softball Champions
With five-year age levels, some having more than one division, there were many teams who received Gold Medals, as listed below.
AGE DIVISION GOLD MEDAL TEAM STATE
Women
W 50+ Div I Stix With Impact CA
W 50+ Div II NC Legends NC
W 50+ Div III Illinois Dirt Divas IL
W55+ Div I Jolico 55’s MI
W 55+ Div II Slugger Strong FL
W 55+ Div III Tennesee Stars TN+
W60+ Div I Golden Players 60 FL
W 60+ Div II Gems Next Level VA
W 60+ Div III Cappers FL
W65+ Div I Jolico 65 MI
W 65+ Div II Whynots NC
W 65+ Div III Wannabees 65+ NC
W70+ Div. I California Spirit 70 CA
W 70+ Div. II Ohio Cardinals OH
W 70+ Div lII Ohio Silver Spirit 70 OH
W75+ Golden Players 75 FL
MEN
M60+ Div I Radcliffe Realty MD
M 60+ Div II Pittsburgh North PA
M65+ Omega IT Services MD
M70+ Div. I Delaware Stars DE
M 70+ Div. II South Carolina Upstate SC
M75+ Chicago Strikers (Tie) IL
Steel City (Tie) PA
Complete results can be found at the QuickScores website link here. For more information about National Senior Games please visit NSGA.com.
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ABOUT NSGA
The National Senior Games Association (NSGA) is a member of the U.S. Olympic Paralympic Committee Affiliate Organization Committee. NSGA is a nonprofit Florida corporation that promotes health and well-being for adults 50 and over through education, fitness and sport. NSGA governs the biennial National Senior Games, the largest multi-sport championship event in the world. The Association is comprised of 52 independent Member Games that conduct qualifying competition events, and the 2023 National Senior Games presented by Humana will be held July 7-18, 2023. For more information, please visit NSGA.com.
ABOUT THE GREATER COLUMBUS SPORTS COMMISSION
The Greater Columbus Sports Commission is a nonprofit organization with a mission to rally Columbus to compete and win sporting events, providing a singular athlete and fan experience and positively impacting image, economy and lifestyle. Since 2002, the Greater Columbus Sports Commission has booked nearly 600 new sporting events for the Columbus Region, generating an estimated $625 million in direct visitor spending. Visit columbussports.org to learn more.
Media Information:
NSGA.com/press-room
Ne**@**GA.com
- Published in News and Events, Press Releases
Running Blind…with Faith, Motivation and Tenacity
Keryl Rustin, 74
Kearneysville, West Virginia
You won’t find a more determined person than Keryl (pronounced “Curl”) Rustin. She adapted to being born visually impaired, finished school, raised three children and had a satisfying working career at a VA hospital in West Virginia.
Then, at the age of 52 a rare neurological condition gradually took the rest of her sight. Now what?
“It was challenging for me to go through losing my sight before I began running,” she recalls. “I was fighting depression and wondering where my life journey would go. But I pulled myself back up and did not want to play the pity game any longer. Even though I was blind I am capable of doing things and I had the initiative and the motivation to learn and participate in society.”
Keryl started running in 2020, enjoyed the experience and has since completed 15 races, mostly 5Ks. She could not find a trainer who would work with her, but she found a powerful ally and spirit coach who helped her become a competitive runner – her granddaughter.
“It wasn’t pre-planned. During COVID my granddaughter Gabbi and I went out for regular walks, and one day I told her I wanted to run,” she shares. Gabbi said, ‘You can do it Grandma!’ and it started that way.
“I have never been tethered,” she continued. “Gabbi would just give me instructions like, ‘Grandma, go right’ or ‘Grandma there’s a car coming’ or ‘Grandma, there’s gravel on the road.’ Imagine that – a seven-year-old girl was giving me cues!”
For her races Keryl would find a guide to run alongside, which is permitted in the rules. In 2021 she became the first blind person to run the Maryland Senior Olympics 5K. Next was the 2022 National Senior Games presented by Humana, where she was unexpectedly faced with the ultimate challenge she could imagine.
“My friend Kat Hansen accompanied me to Florida. She’s not a runner but she found an app that I could use to direct me on the course. But the day of the race she couldn’t get it to work and told me there’s no way I could do the race. I replied, ‘I’m here and I’m going to do it even if I have to crawl.’”
Incredibly, Keryl said a prayer and ran the 5K along the beach in Fort Lauderdale unassisted and unnoticed.
Her plan was to listen and follow the footsteps of the other runners. “It was challenging for me to stay in the middle, and I wasn’t able to keep up at times,” she says. “I knocked down a few cones on the way when I got behind. But I’m so grateful to the other runners because they were yelling at me to go to the right or the left to get by. They didn’t even know I was blind, or how much they were helping me complete the race.”
Keryl had no words to describe the experience. “I cried like a baby after it all. The people I met didn’t question me about my abilities, they accepted and embraced me as an individual. The conversations were about camaraderie more than about my blindness.”
- Published in Athlete of the Month
2023 National Senior Games Softball Championship comes to Columbus
- Published in News and Events