Staying Active at 65+: Your Guide to Smart Medicare Choices
This content is provided by NSGA Partner and 2025 National Senior Games Presenting Sponsor, Humana.
By Catherine Field, Senior Vice President, Humana Medicare
Few things inspire me as much as the athletes who participate in the National Senior Games. Every two years, I look forward to seeing senior athletes from across the country gather to demonstrate what can be achieved through hard work and a commitment to a healthy lifestyle. The stories and determination are nothing short of remarkable. As someone who has worked in healthcare for 35 years, I am immensely proud that Humana is the presenting sponsor of the National Senior Games.
The athletes at the Games motivate me to stay active and prioritize my physical health. I enjoy walking, cycling and lifting weights, which help keep me in shape for my favorite outdoor activities, like skiing, sailing, waterskiing and hiking. I plan to continue exercising and pursuing my passions for many years to come, just like the inspiring athletes I see at the Games.
From my interactions with these athletes, it’s encouraging to see that many active older adults recognize the need to be proactive with their healthcare, as preventative care is equally as important as a consistent fitness routine in helping achieve long-term wellness. That includes annual primary care visits, regular health screenings, routine vaccinations and proper medication management. These are all critical components to staying active and healthy, and they become especially important as we age. Having the right health insurance complements these preventive measures in pursuing active, healthy lives.
For Medicare-eligible individuals, the time to think about your health insurance is now. The annual enrollment period runs from now through Dec. 7, and the Medicare Advantage or Prescription Drug Plan you choose can help set you up for a healthy 2025. Here are three factors I offer for active older adults to consider as they evaluate their plans:
- Current and Future Health Goals
Do you have health and fitness milestones you’re striving for in 2025? Maybe you’re starting a new exercise regimen or picking up a new sport. Whatever your goals are, be sure to assess your healthcare needs for this activity. Beyond a traditional primary care doctor, you may need to talk to a cardiologist, orthopedist or other specialist about your fitness goals. When evaluating your Medicare plan, make sure you understand your costs for in-network and out-of-network providers and check to see if your preferred doctors and hospital are included. - Upcoming Travel Plans
Will you be traveling to Des Moines for the 2025 National Senior Games? What about travel for any other competitions or vacation? The type of Medicare Advantage plan you choose and your carrier’s network determines your coverage when you travel. Some of Humana’s PPO plans are available in specific areas and are designed to give members the freedom and flexibility to visit doctors throughout the country for the same cost as their in-state doctor. If travel is important to you, look for Medicare Advantage plans that will give you peace of mind knowing you’re covered wherever your U.S. travel takes you. - Additional Benefits
Beyond your network of doctors and hospitals, what other benefits are a priority for you? Considerations may include dental, vision, hearing and prescription drug coverage, all of which may be included in a variety of Medicare Advantage plans. Stand-alone Prescription Drug Plans (Part D) are also available if you are enrolled in Original Medicare for health insurance. Meanwhile, some plans also feature add-ons including gym memberships that can help you stay healthy and active.
During this annual enrollment period, make sure to think about the year ahead, evaluate your plan options and select the plan that meets your health and wellness goals. For more information, visit Humana.com/MedicareBasics.
Disclaimer: Humana is a Medicare Advantage HMO and PPO organization and a stand-alone Prescription Drug Plan with a Medicare contract. Enrollment in any Humana plan depends on contract renewal. Out-of-network/non-contracted providers are under no obligation to treat Plan members, except in emergency situations. Please call our customer service number or see your Evidence of Coverage for more information, including the cost-sharing that applies to out-of-network services.
Y0040_GCHMHBGEN_M
- Published in News and Events
A Cycling Champion Spins Off a Family Legacy
By Del Moon, NSGA Storyteller
Luigi Fabbri, 89
Eva Fabbri, 82
Lake Worth, Florida
Gabriella Fabbri, 60
Riviera Beach, Florida
The Fabbri family at the 2023 National Senior Games presented by Humana. Right to left: Luigi Fabbri, Eva Fabbri, Gabriella Fabbri and Phillippe Mailleaux. Photo courtesy Gabriella Fabbri.
Those who know Italian-born Luigi Fabbri will agree that cycling is at the heart of his being. He has been competing and raking in medals and championships internationally for 45 years, and he is still hungry for more at 89 years young.
Luigi also has a greater passion – his family. The evidence is that he took a two-decade pause midway in his racing career to work and support his family, but the wheels were always spinning in his head. Cycling is also rooted in the family with Luigi’s wife, Eva, racing on velodrome tracks in many countries and having a Pan American Games championship in her accomplishments.
Luigi was grateful to find Senior Games when he brought the family to Florida from Uruguay, and he has been a fixture at the Florida Senior Games qualifiers and at National Senior Games since 1997. Luigi was honored with a Florida Senior Games Lifetime Achievement Award in 2021 for his state participation. Other athletes delight in just listening to his thick accent and dry wit.
Now, a new Fabbri generation is rising as their daughter, Gabriella, took up Luigi’s suggestion and pedaled her first competitive 5K and 10K time trials at the 2022 National Senior Games presented by Humana in Fort Lauderdale. Then, she added the 20K road race for her second Nationals in Pittsburgh last year.
As you will discover in the following Personal Best conversation with the three Fabbris, Gabriella caught the fever from dad and “recruited” her husband, Belgian-born Phillippe Mailleaux, to also enter the field in 2023. Gabriella’s twin brother, Renzo, and sister, Anissa, have also raced, and the elders are proud to see their granddaughter, Anyssa, hop in the saddle to ride with the wind hoping to be the next Fabbri champion.
Our chat reveals Luigi’s colorful history as he recalls how his family escaped from Italy to avoid political persecution and ended up in Uruguay, where Luigi met Eva and started his cycling adventures. Then we learn about the Fabbri’s transition to America, where Luigi continued his work as a craftsman restoring vintage furniture in a workshop he built. He only recently retired but maintains a regimen of riding 20 miles at Okeeheelee Park in West Palm Beach almost every day.
Luigi now enjoys the health benefits from his fitness, sharing with us publicly for the first time that he has battled and contained Parkinson’s disease in recent years and that he feels good about continuing as he approaches 90. He often hears he is an inspiration, but the fire to compete has not subsided and he is excited to have a lane where he can still ride and compete with his peers. His passion is tempered with caution as when he encourages others to safely train and compete in cycling. While he has had many falls, he has yet to break a bone and does his best to advise others on safe racing.
He wasn’t thinking about it all along, but when Luigi clipped onto a bike in 1952 he set a legacy in motion that will continue through generations. We’re glad to have the Fabbri family among our ranks to show how much a Personal Best attitude can positively influence others. For that, Luigi deserves our whole-hearted “Grazie!”
Luigi, it’s great to speak with you and your family. You’ve been cycling in the Florida Senior Games for nearly 30 years since you moved here. How long have you been competing?
I have been cycling for a long time! I had to take a break to work and support my family during my life, but I have 45 years as a competitor.
You have been all over the world, and you are an Italian native who came to us through Uruguay. Tell us how you got here!
I was born in Rome during the war time. The only thing that was interesting when I was about 8 years old was the radio. And the radio was transmitting bicycle races. I liked the way they transmitted. They gave me a lot of…I don’t know how to explain, but…the radio made an impression on me and I got interested in racing.
My father was a political man. He fought against Mussolini, and they wanted to kill him. We had to flee Italy and went to France. In France he had the same problem, so we went to Argentina. He still had some problems, so we moved to Uruguay where we felt safe. I was in Uruguay for 20 years.
I used to work for a decorator as a craftsman. I did a lot of antique restoration. At one time my father was a restorer in the Museum of the Vatican. Sometimes we restored, and many times we made a copy. They would say, ‘Look, Luigi, I need a cabinet this size for a Louis XIV room.’ So…we make the cabinet.
But I didn’t want to work with my father and looked for other things to do. I bought a camera – a Leica, very good camera – and I worked as a photographer.
Snapshots from Luigi’s early racing days. Photos courtesy Fabbri family.
Did you start racing while you were working?
I raced for about 20 years when I was younger and I did well. Then I stopped because there was no money in the races, and I needed money because I was married, I had kids. Then I had a big crash and I gave up.
That brings in your wife Eva, who has a cycling history herself. Eva, how did you two meet?
Luigi used to live close to my older sister’s house. It was my 15th birthday, and you know the Spanish people celebrate with a quinceañera for girls. I have Italian ancestry but was born in Uruguay.
So I needed a photographer, and my sister talked to him because he was a photographer at the time. So he took my pictures. The rest is history.
Eva, you did some racing back then. Luigi must have inspired you.
EVA:
Well, it really wasn’t Luigi telling me to do it. I went to Italy with him to visit one of his teammates from Uruguay who lived on a mountain. His wife and I went all the way down to the town and back – she was impressed that I didn’t use a cane, and I didn’t stop to sit. So, she told me, ‘You have to race.’ I said, ‘I’m too old, I never raced in my life.’ But I tried and I like to ride the bike. I competed in Italy, in Ecuador, and I competed in Argentina in the velodrome. I like velodrome a lot.
LUIGI:
She won a Pan American championship while we were in Ecuador.
EVA:
Luigi was a world champion, a world record holder. He was a nominee to compete for Uruguay in the 1964 Olympics in Rome. But then the Uruguay federation didn’t have enough money to send cyclists.
Eva and Luigi on the medal stand over the years. Photos courtesy Fabbri family.
Wow, Luigi, it must have been tough to have to quit to support your family. But then you moved to Florida and started all over again. How did you get back on the bike?
LUIGI:
When I reached 50, I decided to do some exercise. And I was looking for a place and a group of cyclists to practice with, because it’s very dangerous to practice on the streets in Florida.
I found a velodrome near us to practice with others. I started beating people 20 years younger. I was impressed by what I was able to do and decided to race again. I rode on an old bike. I disassembled it and reassembled it the way I was thinking to make it my own track bike. And in a year or so, I was one of the fastest sprinters. I competed in the Pan American Games and won a sprint. And from that, I started racing all over the world again. I raced in England, Portugal, Italy and other places.
And you have been a fixture in National Senior Games since 1997. Eva has joined you for several Games, and in 2023 we saw a new Fabbri generation hop on. Gabriella, your parents say you didn’t start sooner because you are a workaholic.
Gabriella gets a hand with cycling training from her dad, Luigi. Photo courtesy Gabriella Fabbri.
GABRIELLA:
Yeah, unfortunately I am, but you know what? I inherited that. Both of my parents are workaholics. [Laugh]
Dad encouraged me and bought me a bike for my birthday. At the beginning, he trained me, and that’s when I did my best. It was like a bonding moment for us. Then he stopped training me because my schedule as a flight attendant was so messed up. I did much better when he trained me than when I was on my own.
I didn’t have any expectations, and it wasn’t something that I thought of doing. But once I started I enjoyed it. And I’m like, ‘I should have done this a long time ago.’
LUIGI:
I feel proud of her because she works a lot and has little time to practice. I don’t care if she wins or she becomes the last one in. As long as she doesn’t expect more than what she can do.
EVA:
I love that she’s doing it because it’s not only going to help with her health, but she’s also following in her father’s steps.
We’re always happy to see generations get involved in Senior Games. Gabriella, you competed in your first time trials in 2022, and there’s more to the story because your husband Phillippe also competed in cycling in 2023. How did he get involved?
GABRIELLA:
Well, I just went out and bought him a bike, and he had no choice. [Laugh]
At first, he’s like, ‘I’m not doing this.’ And I’m like, ‘But you’ll like it. I used to say the same thing.’ Now he trains more than I do, actually. I don’t have the time now to get into the road racing much. I like the time trials.
EVA:
Me too. I always race in time trial because I don’t have a lot of road experience. And I’m afraid to be in a group and make somebody fall. So, I always race just by myself.
Cycling road races do have more risk than time trials. It’s best to know your lane and be careful. I’m sure Luigi has had some spills in his racing career.
LUIGI:
Cycling is a dangerous sport. You have to prepare well. I have crashed over 40 times, but I have not broken any bones! I’m very careful. I like to race in front, between the first 10 people. Usually, it’s more safe.
Have any of your other children raced bikes?
EVA:
Yes. When we first came to the U.S. in 1974, we lived in Massachusetts, and Gabriella’s twin brother, Renzo, and our daughter, Anissa, entered a race and we watched them win. So everybody in the family is on the bike except Adriana. Adriana is not a sport person but supports us.
In Pittsburgh we had the whole family including grandchildren come to celebrate. It was beautiful, beautiful. Our granddaughter, Anyssa, was there and she is racing now, so we have four generations of cyclists. For me, the family is number one. And anything that we can do with the family, for me, is very enjoyable.
Obviously, cycling is a huge part of Luigi’s identity, but he had to set it aside for 20 years to support his family, which must have been hard. We can assume that family is even more important than cycling to Luigi.
GABRIELLA:
Well, maybe! [Laugh]
So Luigi, you are 89 as we speak and you don’t seem to be slowing down. You still ride 20 miles every day. There’s no doubt this keeps you in good shape. Besides your obvious love for the sport, is that why you do this now?
Luigi Fabbri cycling in the 20K Road Race at the 2023 National Senior Games presented by Humana.
LUIGI:
Yes, that’s why. There is one reason nobody knows, but I’m going to tell you. I found out I have Parkinson’s six years ago. The doctor told me to do some exercise, because it’s good to keep the Parkinson’s away. I started practicing harder. I don’t trust just the medicine. But by practicing hard I don’t feel to be worse now. On the contrary, I feel better.
EVA:
I’ve been telling him he had Parkinson’s for like 12 years. But he’s very stubborn and would not accept it. It took him some time to realize that there was something in there, but he’s keeping it under control through his intense exercise.
I worked many years with people with Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, so I have an idea how this disease progresses. He really hasn’t progressed that much, which is good.
LUIGI:
I feel strong, and I still race to win. I understand that with some people it’s not important to win. You don’t have to be there to try to win the medals. I like to win, but I’m also competing against myself and against my best time.
How do you feel about being a role model to these other athletes? They love you!
LUIGI:
I feel it’s something I have to keep doing because everybody tells me, ‘Luigi, you are my inspiration.’ So many people are looking at me. But I do this for myself first, not for other people. I don’t care about anybody else around me. I’m doing what I’m doing. I’m staying healthy.
You have to do it for yourself, because it’s not easy. And that’s what I try to tell people.
- Published in 2024 PB, Personal Best Featured Athletes, Senior Games Blogs
Introduction to Mindfulness for Sports & Well-Being
By Andrew Walker, MPH; NSGA Director of Health & Well-Being
Have you ever felt less stressed after a good sweat session? Physical activity can improve mental health and well-being, and we see this among the athletes who compete at the National Senior Games. The Sustained Athlete Fitness Exam (SAFE) run by Dr. Becca Jordre has found Senior Games participants show low levels of self-reported anxiety and depression.
Good mental well-being contributes to one’s quality of life, and developing mental skills such as mindfulness will increase your ability to achieve your personal best.
I previously introduced the cardinal mental performance skills developed by Autur Poczwardowki, PhD, for the Lakeshore Olympic and Paralympic Training Center. These key skills include productive self-talk, intensity (energy) regulation, impactful imagery, flexible mental plans and routines, and mindfulness.
An important skill to explore first is mindfulness.
Mindfulness
My participation in mindfulness-based stress management (MBSM) training for healthy living, coupled with several years of practice, allows me to affirm its benefits for health enhancement and well-being. The evidence for the effectiveness of MBSM is found in the work of Jon Kabat Zinn, Ph.D. Although Zinn is best known for treating patients with challenging medical conditions, he has applied his work to Olympic athletic performance.
Zinn describes mindfulness as “awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally.” MBSM is an important skill because it addresses challenges to optimal mental performance, including letting go of distractions, negative self-talk, critical self-analysis and not focusing on positive traits.
Key elements of MBSM are body awareness, being present in the moment, and observing and paying attention to the breath. These skills are developed and enhanced by exercises such as:
- Learning to follow one’s breath.
- Practicing observing one’s thoughts.
- Practicing the body scan.
To experience a brief overview of this practice with Dr. Zinn, please click here for a “Taste of Mindfulness Based Stress Management.” Like the Olympians and Paralympians we admire, you will find that learning to be more mindful will lead you on a journey to your best Senior Games.
- Published in Health & Well-Being
The Pickleball Pioneer: Fran Myer’s Unexpected Journey
October 2024 Athlete of the Month
By Del Moon, NSGA Storyteller
Fran Myer, 78
Kenmore, Washington
Photo courtesy Fran Myer.
Some people just have a knack for falling into situations and finding themselves in the middle of history. When it comes to the early development of pickleball, Fran Myer shows up everywhere.
“I’m the Forrest Gump of pickleball,” she says with a laugh. “It had nothing to do with any sort of a specific goal with pickleball. I just really love the sport and became involved because I found it as a way to improve my physical and overall health. There’s social connections and the ability to age gracefully and stay active.”
Fran, who was raised in the Chinatown district of Seattle, has an interesting work history. While her main career was at the University of Washington Center for Urban Horticulture as a fiscal specialist, Fran often took extra jobs that included offset press operator, receptionist at the Seattle Yacht Club, cashier at a toy store, server at Rainier Golf and Country Club, hospital records clerk, ticket manager for the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra and bookkeeper at a restaurant.
Oh, we almost forgot. Fran has also authored and illustrated two children’s books with her friend Jean Sasaki. No wonder she latched onto a game with a quirky name!
Pickleball had its origins in the Seattle area where she has lived most of her life. The sport bubbled up in local community centers, which is where Fran says it really got its big push from seniors.
“People of all ages were trying it, but it was the seniors that really latched on,” Fran recalls. “They were available to go to the community centers that offered pickleball for free during daytime hours when young people were in school and young adults were working.”
Fran had no athletic background other than youth ballet and was looking for something to help regain strength and to stay active after back surgery for a herniated disc in her early 40s. “I wasn’t interested in running and didn’t particularly like swimming, and I couldn’t think of anything I would like to do. Then I remembered I had gone to a party at somebody’s home the previous year, and they had a thing in their backyard that they called pickleball.”
Like so many that have followed, Fran fell in love with the sport and began competing in Sid Williams tournaments in the ‘90s. Passion and drive got her involved with organizing events, including nine years serving with her husband Barney as commissioners for the Washington State Senior Games pickleball tournament, which was begun by Joyce Jones, another pioneer who actively promoted getting pickleball added to the National Senior Games.
Fran Takes on the Internet – and Wins
The next fortuitous twist was when Fran had some free time while working as a receptionist and decided to make a website, even though she had no experience or initial direction. “I found a website that had more step-by-step procedures, and I created a website,” she says. “Now I needed a theme and thought, ‘Wow, I really like pickleball, I can do it about that.’”
And that, dear readers, is how Pickleball Stuff, the world’s first retail pickleball website, began in 1999 sharing posted rules and tips, court design and a listing of tournaments. The site quickly found its audience and requests to purchase equipment started pouring in. Fran contacted Pickleball, Inc. (run by Doug Smith, nephew of Barney McCallum, one of the game’s inventors) who saw the potential.
“I said, ‘Doug, do I need to write a check for these paddles?’ and he said, ‘No, no, no. Just go and when you sell them, you can give us the money.’ Pro Light Sports did the same thing, so I had inventory with zero investment,” she marvels, adding, “Most orders were not prepaid, but shipped out with the invoice in the box, payable upon receipt. It really was the Wild West back then.”
Fran next found herself in the middle of forming the nonprofit United States America Pickleball Association (USAPA). “It’s truly a Forrest Gump moment,” she laughs. “Back in 2005 when Mark Friedenberg and Steve Wong had this idea to start USAPA, they knew of our reputation as commissioners for the Washington State Senior Games, and they invited Barney and I to join them in the mission to create this organization. Barney Myer was the tournament director for the first USAPA National Tournament, and I was co-director with Dennis Duey for the second and third year.”
Fran Myer, far right, on the medal stand at the 2023 National Senior Games presented by Humana. Photo courtesy Fran Myer.
Fran also served as an officer on the USAPA board of directors for eight years, overseeing the explosive growth of the sport among seniors. She was the first woman inducted into the Pickleball Hall of Fame in 2018, and her next chapter was to find time to regularly compete in the National Senior Games. She’s pleased to have earned a silver and a bronze in women’s singles, but she says the greatest reward is seeing so many peers enjoying the game and its social environment.
“The USAPA now has pro divisions, master pros and the champion pros where they’re offering money,” she observes. “So jumping down the throat of your opponent may be more front of mind there than in the National Senior Games.
“I tell people all the time, if you’re senior age, you really should make an effort to participate in the National Senior Games,” she continues. “They promote the things I believe in – the spirit of being able to remain active into your later years and meeting people that are doing the same kinds of things you’re doing.”
- Published in Athlete of the Month