The 10K Road Race, held at Vista View Park yesterday, offered a completely different environment from the Hollywood Beach routes used for the 5K. The longer race displayed more of the Florida scenery found in the interior of the state. 

Nearly 200 runners pushed themselves to the limit in their quest for medals or a PR (personal record) and many attained their goal. Great job, runners! We also saw many new faces, including the overall winner.

For Adam Cochran, the Wait is Over and a Journey Begins

It’s not shocking when one of the youngest runners makes off with the best time, but it was surprising to hear 51-year-old Adam Cochran of Takoma Park, Maryland say he’s been waiting for the chance for many years.

Adam gave notice of his ability by finishing the 5K event with the best overall time of 17:39, which placed him 5th in NSGA’s all-time Top 10 Performance List for the 50-54 age group.

Any idea of anyone else winning Saturday’s 10K was erased early as Adam quickly found his gear and outpaced the field by a healthy margin, clocking a time of 37:44. After catching his breath at the finish line, he was ebullient about winning the National Senior Games 10K. When asked why it meant so much, Adam says, “I’ve known about Senior Games for a long time and always thought that would be great to do when I got to 50.”

Welcome to the club, Adam!

Jacksonville Runner Seizes Opportunity for his First Nationals

Todd Pye considers himself a lucky man to find himself at the 2022 National Senior Games. “I found out about the Games in December and thought I missed out because I didn’t qualify to go,” the 56-year-old explains. “Then I found out that they opened it up due to the pandemic and I could enter without qualifying this time.”

Todd finished 13th overall in the 5K race and was more than satisfied with his performance. “It’s nice to see the level of ability of these people,” he says, adding “The whole thing is just so inspiring for me.”

See you in Pittsburgh, Todd!

The white sands, towering palm trees and light breeze of Fort Lauderdale Beach provided the perfect setting for the debut of Beach Volleyball at the National Senior Games. Athletes eager to test their skills in this new open sport will play in women’s and men’s 2v2 and 4v4 divisions through May 18, 2022.

Beach Volleyball Veterans Excited for a New Competition

Beach volleyball teammates Mikiya Sequoia, left, and Bea Graves.

“I was on it as soon as they opened registration,” says Bea Graves, an accomplished beach volleyball player who has competed in and won masters tournaments in countries around the world including New Zealand, Italy, Hawaii, and Malaysia. 

“I travel all over the world for beach volleyball, and I have friends in every continent, you just have a great time…it’s such a big party,” says Bea. 

She and her partner Mikiya Sequioa are the only team in their 65-69 age bracket, but the duo are having a good time playing down. 

Both have played volleyball since childhood. Bea graduated high school the year Title IX was passed and did not have the opportunity to play on a girl’s volleyball team. Instead, she would go to a local park and convince the boys to let her play with them. 

Bea was inducted last year into the Arizona Beach Volleyball Hall of Fame for her fundamental role in establishing the sport in the state. Both teammates organize games on a regular basis with a network of players of all ages in their area – often squeezing in a few games in the morning before work. 

Faithful Friends Team Up for Fort Lauderdale

On the men’s courts, Arkansas athletes Martin Faulkner, Kevin Holt, Gary Wehrum, and Freddy Williams hit the sand for their first taste of National Senior Games competition. The group has been friends for over 20 years and are pairing up for 2v2 Beach Volleyball, then competing as a four-person team. 

The team meets up often to enjoy each other’s company and play beach volleyball. Gary is the recreational supervisor at his church, and his teammates recently helped him build a sand volleyball court at the facility to introduce others to the game and host fundraising tournaments. It’s clear these team members are faithful friends on and off the court. 

Beach Volleyball Presents a Challenge

“Get Over It” beach volleyball teammates Romy Toussain (right), Amy Hansen (middle), and Bonnie Hanna.

Romy Toussain, Bonnie Hanna, and Amy Hansen were excited for the challenge of beach volleyball, noting that it’s a very different game from indoor. Since beach volleyball players move around and play every position, they described it as “the ultimate team sport,” requiring a well-rounded skill set.  

Romy, Bonnie, and Amy are playing under the team name “Get Over It,” inspired by the practical mindset of, “if you make a mistake in the game, get over it,” says Amy.

Everyone can claim a part of a new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS just by showing up at Las Olas Intracoastal Park Monday, May 16, at 5:45 pm before the Celebration of Athletes sponsored by Ageility.   

Join us right before the Celebration of Athletes on Monday at 5:45 pm as we attempt to break the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title for the Largest Game of Freeze Dance sponsored by Iovera. All are welcome, not just athletes!

The Celebration of Athletes is designed to focus on the athletes with fewer speeches and more celebrating with the Parade of Athletes, passing of the flag and other formal elements. There will also be a tribute to Title IX and an inspiring song by athlete Bob Griffiths as just two engaging elements.

Did we mention that you all need is to be there at 5:45 pm to get ready for the big record attempt? See you there!

Note: The best parking option after street parking is the garage at 200 Las Olas Circle. Link: https://bit.ly/3vpwk5f  

Want to learn more about yourself and possibly avoid future sport injury? Be certain to take the Senior Athlete Fitness Exam (SAFE) sponsored by Zibrio offered free in The Village at the Greater Fort Lauderdale Broward County Convention Center.

The program, which has been conducted at National Senior Games since 2011, measures key indicators and provides helpful feedback. Plus, you are participating in important research on highly-active adults.  It only takes a few minutes to learn more about your strength, balance and other aspects of your fitness profile.

Zibrio is known as The Balance Company due to cutting edge technology in their products. Experience the number one balance test in the world at the Zibrio booth, located right next to the SAFE area. They offer precise fall risk assessment in 60 seconds. Make sure to stop by!

Florida Feature By Nick Gandy, Florida Senior Games

A floor above the hustle and bustle of Greater Fort Lauderdale Broward County Convention Center Main Exhibit Hall, containing 12 basketball courts, 42 pickleball courts and 12 volleyball courts, Ocala’s Paul Hodges and Darryl Kenyon are alternating matches on 16 shuffleboard courts.

In order to repeat on their Doubles Gold Medal success from the 2019 National Senior Games, they must navigate the intricacies of each of the 16 courts. The discs react differently on each court once they leave the sticks and travel 39 feet to the other side of the court.

Hodges likens the differences in each court to the greens on a golf course.  But there’s a big difference.

“You can read the breaks on a golf course and get an idea of where the ball will go,” he said. “You can look at these courts all day and not see a thing.”

To help him figure out the twists and turns of each of the courts, Hodges keeps a series of “drift cards,” and documents how the discs travel from the shooting area.

“It’s kind of a cheat sheet,” Hodges admits.

His documentation of the five courts he and Kenyon played on Saturday, and in singles play, on Friday, will come in handy in the championship bracket that begins on Sunday.

In winning four of their five matches on Saturday, Hodges and Kenyon scored more than 100 points in three of the wins. They were the only team in the 11-team 60-64 age group pool to score more than 100 points.

When asked how that was accomplished, Kenyon answered with a shrug, “We play a lot we’ve learned how to read the drifting of the courts. If you’re not used to that, it’s tough. These are also faster courts”

Indeed, they play a lot around the state of Florida within their Ocala community while venturing out to play in Leesburg and Zephyrhills.  The level of competition is a step up at the 2022 National Senior Games, presented by Humana.

“It’s a lot more fun playing here with people who know what they’re doing,” Hodges said. Their lone loss on Saturday was to Edgar Ensley and Perry Teesateskie, from North Carolina.

They have one more pool play match on Sunday morning, but their four wins gives them a good chance to advance to an eight-team championship bracket.

As the returning gold medalists in the 60-64 age group, all eyes are on the Florida team. Hodges claims there’s no pressure for them to repeat.

“Personally, I did want to win the gold medal in Albuquerque,” he said. “We came this time for fun. What happens, happens and it’s ok.”

By Matthew Adams

A lawyer, a nurse, a Division I collegiate Hall of Famer from Eastern Michigan University, an intramural star from Michigan State University, a former University of Toledo player along with a crew of talented ladies ranging from 65 to 80+ all walk into a gym.

That’s not the start of a joke. The Michigan Spirits are no joke, and their competitors know they can ball! 

It’s not about recognition or stats. Hailing from Flint, Michigan, the Spirits are not your average women’s 65+ basketball squad. They’re more of a family composed of passionate, educated women from all walks of life. They celebrate diversity and overcoming obstacles that nearly all women of their generation experienced.

Prior to the inception of Title IX, most female basketball players were forced to play under a different set of rules than their male counterparts, referred to as Division for Girls’ and Women’s Sports (DGWS). For example, they had to dribble three times before passing the ball. That was just one of many other rules that didn’t apply to the men.

As the team’s star forward and team spokesperson, Wondella Devers clearly states, “We play for the bond and the love of the game,” and when these courageous group of ladies hit the court, it couldn’t be more clear.