National Senior Games Swimmer Vivian Stancil, left, with Olympic Swimming Gold Medalist Theresa Andrews.

When it comes to dynamic stories about Senior Games athletes who overcome challenges and find a healthy lifestyle through sport, swimmer Vivian Stancil always comes to mind. Now 75, Vivian was blinded by a congenital disease as a 19-year-old single mother of two, but fought her way out of poverty to become a successful school teacher. However, she became morbidly obese and chose swimming as her means to lose over 100 pounds and regain her health. Read her 2014 Personal Best Feature for more.

Vivian loves Senior Games, and the love is returned with ovations when she enters or leaves the swim venue. She has been featured by numerous regional and national media outlets and has inspired many to get into the game. 

At the 2022 Games, her story attracted the attention of Katie Couric Media and they have brought a video crew to prepare the feature. With help from our Presenting Sponsor Humana, 1984 Olympic Swimming Gold Medalist Theresa Andrews, now an Associate VP of Humana’s Neighborhood Centers, was brought in by our Presenting Sponsor to “coach” Vivian on practice day at the Plantation Aquatics Complex.   

When the two met Thursday, Theresa presented a surprise gift of an embroidered Olympic logo jacket. But then she shocked Vivian by pulling out one of her 1984 gold medals for the swimmer to wear. “This is so exciting, I’m so grateful!” Vivian exclaimed.

For an amateur athlete to be able to wear an Olympic gold medal once is a chance of a lifetime. But Vivian felt some deja vu because this has happened once before. In 2014, NSGA made a presentation to her at the California Senior Games athlete dinner and attracted  swimming legend John Naber, who dominated the 1976 Olympics with five medals, to come pay tribute. At the end of his remarks, he also surprised everyone by hanging one of his golds around her neck.

Vivian appreciated the tips Theresa Andrews shared during their practice, and the Olympian expressed mutual admiration. “It’s so amazing what she has accomplished, “ she said. “Vivian is so inspiring for all of us.”

Ray Gildea at the 2022 National Senior Games Track & Field competition.

Ray Gildea of Madison, Mississippi is an accomplished runner, having completed 176 marathons and Ultra events to date. He has been to nine National Senior Games, beginning with Pittsburgh in 2005. He is also in the Mississippi Senior Olympics Hall of Fame.

But there’s one thing he has done that makes us feel out of this world. The photo you see is 

Ray’s race number bib from the 2011 National Senior Games presented by Humana onboard the International Space Station. It’s from his bronze medal winning 4×100 relay race at the Houston Games. 

Ray Gildea’s race bib from the 2011 National Senior Games aboard the International Space Station.

Ray, who is active with the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation and has many friends in the space program, managed to arrange for Cosmonaut Col. Gennady Pedalka to take the race bib in his personal kit on a mission in 2012. Ray is told that it may be the only time a race bib has ever been into space.

Ray is looking forward to the 4×100 relays at Ansin Track Complex next Monday, but is listening to his body and has scratched the 10K road race. “I’m kinda redshirted,” he says. “I participated in a 12-hour relay recently so I won’t overdo it.”

“I love the spirit of these Games,” he quickly adds. “I immediately identified with the athletes and was awed by the performances. You have no idea how fast they are going until you are in there with them.”

Tradewinds Park in Coconut Creek, Florida, was buzzing with energy for the first day of Women’s 60+ Softball competition for the 2022 National Senior Games by Humana. 

Teams from across the country loaded the bases in their pursuit of gold. Many of the players aren’t strangers, having competed against each other in numerous tournaments throughout the years. 

“Softball has been my saving grace.” 

Jan Greathouse, right, with a Sluggers teammate at the 2022 National Senior Games presented by Humana.

Jan Greathouse, a member of The Original Sluggers 60+ team, lives and breathes softball. She has played 54 straight seasons, including through four pregnancies. Even after shattering an ankle on the last game of a season, Jan was back for game one of the next. She even scheduled her wedding on a Friday so she could play a tournament the next day!

Jan thrives on the supportive team dynamic in the sport, “We pick each other up, we do fundraisers together, crash at each other’s houses – it’s like a family.” She adds, “Softball has been my saving grace, it’s my sanctuary and empowers me.” 

“Nathan’s Crafty Veterans” Team Banks on Experience

Nathan’s Crafty Veterans team poses before their first game at the 2022 National Senior Games presented by Humana.

Teams at the National Senior Games often sport creative names, and the Nathan’s Crafty Veterans team from Ohio left us wondering: Do they share a love of crafts? Are they all veterans of military service? And who is Nathan? 

According to Crafty Veterans member Joan, the inspiration for the name came from their greatest asset – the synergy they’ve developed through playing experience. Their core group has stayed together since competing in the 2015 National Senior Games presented by Humana in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 

“We understand each other’s abilities and build around that,” explains Joan – with a dose of craftiness to gain an extra edge. Joan adds that the homegrown Ohio team, “appreciates every lady who comes to play.”

Women’s and men’s softball will continue at Tradewinds Park and Pompano Community Park through May 23, 2022.

Florida Feature by Nick Gandy, Florida Senior Games

For those unfamiliar with the geography of Florida, it stretches from the south end of the peninsula to the west end of the panhandle.

Most don’t realize it’s 5+ hours from the crossroads of Interstates 10 and 75 to Pensacola, which sits a bridge or two from the Alabama border.

The distance did not hinder nine Pensacola bowlers from making the effort to drive 10 hours from Northwest Florida to Southeast Florida.

“I had to stop and spend the night in Ocala,” said Lawrence Draeger, the patriarch of the group, now bowling in the 80-84 age group.

The group of nine who made the 651-mile trip includes athletes ranging in age from 60 to 85 and includes Tom Armstrong, Ginger Barbacovey, Ola (Kate) Briggs, Al Crockett, Lawrence Draeger, Ben Eaton, Theda Hicks, John Isreal and Robert Veit.

Draeger, the sage of the group because he’s been bowling for 68 years, lived in Pensacola since 1980 and serves as the First Vice President of the Pensacola Bowling Association and is a retired Navy veteran with service from 1961-1991.

Oh, and he’s one of only six bowlers to roll a Perfect 300 Game in the 30-year history of the Florida Senior Games, accomplishing the feat in 2011.

In the women’s singles events, Friday morning, Draeger was there to provide moral support for Ginger Barbacovey, Theda Hicks and Kate Briggs, before lacing up his bowling shoes for men’s singles in the afternoon.

It was the first National Senior Games for all three ladies and Briggs’ first venture into Senior Games Bowling.  She began her journey at the Pensacola Senior Games last September and qualified for the 2021 Florida Senior Games, in December.  Now she’s among the hundreds of bowlers at Sawgrass Lanes through next Thursday, also bowling in Women’s and Mixed Doubles in the 80-84 age group.

“This is a great group of people,” Briggs said before her singles competition. “I’ve been meeting some people in the lanes with me from different states, and no one is shy about talking to one another.”

Barbacovey and Hicks teamed to win a women’s doubles silver medal in the 60-64 age group at the 2021 Florida Senior Games, presented by Humana, and Briggs teamed with Draeger for a mixed doubles silver in the 80-84 age group.

At the 2019 National Senior Games, Draeger and partner Ben Heaton, bowled a gold-medal winning 1245 to establish an all-time best overall score in the 80-84 age group, 40 pins better than the previous high.

“I was just there with him,” Draeger said. “Ben did all the work with a 700+ series.  I just filled in the rest.”

Draeger started bowling at 15 years old to “earn pocket money,” in Antigo, Wisconsin (120 miles northwest of Green Bay) , as a pin setter.

“It’s way out in the woods,” Draeger said of his hometown, which listed a population of just over 7,800 in 2018.

Between the 68 years he’s spent in bowling alleys and his 30 years in the Navy, as a Naval Education and Training Chief,” he’s bowled all over the world, including on a team in Japan.

“I was stationed there from 1970 to 1974 and found a bowling alley and just went in to bowl,” he said. “Next thing I know I’m on a team and we’re going from town to town for tournaments and  I’m the only Gaijin in the tournament. We had fun.”

Drager is still having fun hurling his ball down the lanes, bowling at three different locations, four nights a week, in Pensacola.  Same with Ola Briggs, who bowls in three different senior leagues in Pensacola. Same with Ginger Barbacovey and Theda Hicks, who traveled to Las Vegas recently for a national tournament.

Best of luck with that not so fun 651-mile drive back to Northwest Florida.