Lee Stadem, 89, Sioux Falls, South Dakota

You might say Leroy “Lee” Stadem has a reverence for sports and fitness. He believes that keeping active is a necessary component to living a full life mentally and spiritually, and he considers himself a humble example for others to follow. A big reason for this modesty is because Lee served as a Lutheran minister for more than six decades in and around his home state of South Dakota.

Lee played and competed in any sport that was available when he had a chance, which was somewhat challenging for a lad growing up on a rural farm. After military service and college, he discovered a love for tennis and table tennis. When he heard that his state’s department on aging wanted volunteers to help organize Senior Games, he and a friend traveled to the capital and became part of the founding board, and the first South Dakota Senior Games began in 1984.

When the inaugural “National Senior Sports Classic” was announced to be held in 1987, Lee signed up and traveled to St. Louis with his buddy to participate. Thirty years later, he hasn’t missed a single one of either his state games or National Senior Games. When Elisabeth, his wife of 62 years, tagged along for the 1991 Games in Syracuse to see what the fuss was all about, she decided she could compete too. She has also made every trip since then, first as a swimmer, and then finding her groove with shuffleboard and horseshoes. In our conversation with Lee that follows, he says her participation helped keep him going to National Senior Games, partially because he would have felt selfish doing it without her.

The soft-spoken man with a broad smile also likes the social aspect of sports, preferring those that involve partner play. After struggling early to find suitable partners to qualify and travel with him for national competition, Lee played against Royal Smart, who came to South Dakota from Illinois to qualify for the 1993 Games. They decided to pair up for the trip to Baton Rouge. Despite a family emergency that pulled Royal away in the middle of their first competition together, the men created a lasting bond and have remained playing partners to this day.

Lee has maintained good health as a senior, although a bum knee threatened to keep him off the field at one point. After a knee replacement, he hasn’t had any further problems. However, after taking his “re-retirement” last November, he had to deal with a shingles outbreak, and then recently found out that he has a cancerous tumor in his intestines. The good news is that it was not an aggressive type, and after surgery he feels good about being ready to play when the 2017 National Senior Games presented by Humana kick off in Birmingham. His surgeon also noted that Lee’s excellent physical condition greatly increased his body’s ability to bounce back.

In 2014, Lee wrote a guest column for his local newspaper entitled “Can God Bless Our Leisure?” In it, he made the following recollection: “60 years ago in our homiletics class at seminary, our guest lecturer for our senior class was a pastor of a mega congregation in Minneapolis. I won’t forget this part of his lecture when he said, ‘I’d rather burn out than rust out.’” Lee Stadem is still burning strong as he continues to pursue his Personal Best.

 

Let’s start with where you live, Lee. Are you a native of South Dakota?

Yes. I grew up on a farm in Bryant. It’s a small community, and I worked on the farm during the summer school breaks. I’m the youngest of nine children. I had seven great, wonderful sisters and one brother. I enjoyed being on the farm. Our folks were great people, and we enjoyed having them around for many years.

 

Working a farm will keep you in shape. Did you play sports growing up? 

I love sports, and have always played sports. I attended a small private Christian high school so we played intermural sports. I played everything they had.

Then I went into the Navy. World War II ended in August of 1945, and I turned 18 in October. I wanted to be in the same branch of service as my brother. It was a two-year enlistment, and there wasn’t much chance to play sports while I was in there. When I got out I ran the family farm for a short time, but I thought if I was going to be a farmer I didn’t want to be a bachelor farmer, so I decided to go to college. I went to Augustana College in Sioux Falls. I went out for football and that was my biggest claim to fame there.  Any time I had the chance, I did something in sports during my life.

 

How did you hear about Senior Games?

There was a notice in our hometown newspaper asking interested seniors 55 and over to come to the state capital in Pierre. There was a lady with the state Department on Aging who wanted to form a group to create Senior Games for the state. There was no organization but she took it upon herself to get it started. I went down there with Glen Peterson, whose main event was race walking. A small group of us met and formed a board to get things organized, and we had our first games in 1984.

When we heard about the first national games coming for 1987 Glen asked, “Why don’t we go down to St. Louis and compete?” We did, and we enjoyed it very much, so we went back again two years later, and went on from there. Glen is now deceased.

Lee and Royal Smart at 2009 Games in Palo AltoWhat sports did you play?

Well, I entered various sports in the state games. It wasn’t that I was very good at them, but there were so few of us that it wasn’t tough to get qualified. I’ve always played table tennis, and have done that for Nationals all through the years. I picked up tennis and that’s been my other sport. I just love playing them.

Now, those are both partner sports, and it was a problem at first to get partners lined up for Nationals. I’d qualify with people here, and we’re playing pretty good, and for one reason or another they would bow out from going. It was a discouraging thing to try to find a good partner, being in a small state like this. So, I changed my philosophy and didn’t think about winning a gold medal, but just to go and enjoy competing.

I did finally find a partner to play both tennis and table tennis with. His name is Royal Smart, and he lives near Chicago. I’ve just been to the South Dakota games, but he goes to several Senior Games around him. I competed against him in tennis in South Dakota, and we decided to be partners and went to Baton Rouge in 1993. That first time we were doing really well, but Royal had a family emergency and had to leave to take care of both his wife and his mother. That was a downer, but we didn’t give up on one another and have been partners ever since. We did get some medals over the years, but the best part is that we can depend on each other to always be there.

 

Speaking of always being there, you are among a group of only eight athletes who have gone to all of The Games.

That’s interesting that the number is that small now. We had a gathering in Louisville in 2007 where they brought everyone who had been to all them onto the stage. We had a whole bunch there at that time.

 

That just means you’re going to get that much more love this time in Birmingham.

Well, my wife Elisabeth and I are sure looking forward to it. Some of my relatives are coming. One has volunteered to drive us there, and another lives in Atlanta and told us to come over and stay when we have a couple days off.

 

 

So, your wife competes too?

Yes. When Glen and I went to Syracuse in 1991, she was too young to be in it, but she wanted to go with us. She wanted to see Niagara Falls which wasn’t far away. She saw what was going on at The Games and on the way home she said, “I can do those things.”

Liz has competed in swimming, but likes shuffleboard and does well in it. She also plays horseshoes, and hasn’t missed any Games since she began.

We’ve been married for 62 years, one less year than I’ve been pastoring. She’s been a very supportive part in all of this. It’s been a big encouragement for me that she does the sports too. If I was just doing this by myself I might have felt quite selfish. We’ve made a lot of friendships, especially in our state.

 

Let’s go back for a moment. You were a pastor for your career?

Yes. I majored in sociology and philosophy at Augustana, and before I graduated one of the professors asked me, “Have you ever thought about entering the ministry?” I really hadn’t. He said, “I think you should.” I qualified to start at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. I had three years of study and one year of internship.

When I retired at 65, I was asked if I was interested to be on call for my parish. I continued as an interim visiting pastor. I went to a lot of places around South Dakota until I retired for good, and I really enjoyed it. I worked with St. John American Lutheran Church for quite some time, and they gave me a nice party in November and presented me with a cake that said “Happy Re Retirement.” [Chuckle]

I’m now looking forward to doing some special things. In 2018, our family is going to celebrate the 100^th anniversary of the year my parents bought the family farm. One of my sons grew up enjoying selecting devotionals. He wants to put together a booklet of them, with one for each day in the year. He’s given me the assignment to write up one devotional for each week, so I have to prepare 52 of those. I’ll get started when I get over these medical things that have come up.

 

We know our interview was delayed because you had a bout with shingles over the holidays.

Yes, and it’s still bugging me. I had the vaccine shot back in ’08, but I still got it. I’ve got pain on the back of my head and on my right side, and frankly it’s disgusting! [Laugh] But it’ll pass, and I’ll hang in there. I did have to drop out of tennis during this time, but I’ve talked with all the fellas and I plan to get back to it. We have a good place to play, and I’ll just need to get my legs back in shape.

I also just recently had something else to deal with. They found a tumor where the small intestine joins with the large. It was the size of a tennis ball and a form of cancer, but the doctor said I shouldn’t worry because it’s not the type that moves quickly and it just needed to be removed soon. I’ve had the procedure and things are looking good now.

When I went in for the PET scan and got my news, the doctor told me, “I can sure see that you’ve been very active. I don’t think there’s going to be any problems with your heart and for your body to be able to recover.” He knows about how important the Senior Games is for me, and he thought I’d heal in time. I am feeling good now, I think it’s good news.

 

You have been fortunate to have good health all of those years.

Yes. I did use a brace on my knee for several years. Every step got to be painful. A man saw me hobbling after a competition and showed me the scar on his knee. He said, “You should look into having a knee replacement.” I did get that done, and I haven’t had a speck of pain since then. It’s been miraculous, really.

 

You’ve spent a lifetime ministering to souls. Do you see physical activity and sports as also helping with a person’s mental and spiritual well-being?

I think they are closely related. You should do what glorifies yourself, but there are more important goals than just winning. We all love to compete and win those medals, but I tell everyone I play that we are all winners. Faith in the Lord makes us a winner already. My wife and I feel that way.

It’s certainly in our Scripture. We are commissioned to work in the Kingdom, and we’re expected to take care of our bodies. I believe I have been an example to show the importance to do that. For the people who go to Nationals from my state, I like to remind that we represent South Dakota and we should do the very best we can. It’s great to march in together to do that.

 

Of course, staying healthy is always the goal.

It has been my goal. I play tennis three times a week, and table tennis two or three times a week. I also like to hunt, and have done it in some tough places in the mountains and south of the Tetons. My conditioning with sports has surely helped, and I don’t imbibe in smoking or drinking. Liz has been very helpful for me, being involved too. She regularly bowls and does water aerobics.

 

It seems logical that your sporting activity has contributed to your longevity.

Oh, I think it has. It surely hasn’t hindered my health in any way. My mother died with she was 98, and my father lived to be 79. I’ve already outlived him, so that’s for sure.

Even though winning is not the main reason to stay active, if we’re going to compete, we need to stay in shape. Regular exercise is very important in our lives. When Liz and I go to a church event and they’re having a volleyball game, we don’t get all stiff and can enjoy participating.

 

Does it surprise the younger ones when you can get out there and knock the ball around? 

I think they really are surprised. People say it’s great that we can still do all of this. I believe we are setting an example. Everyone doing this is setting an example.

Hazel Hassen Bey, 93, Montclair, New Jersey

In sports, sometimes the story is about amazing feats of skill and glory. Other times, it is about how an athlete overcomes obstacles to persevere in an inspiring display of courage. Frequently, such challenges come off the field of play, as in the case of Hazel Hassen Bey.

Of eight athletes who have competed in every National Senior Games since 1987, Hazel is perhaps the most surprising to have achieved perfect attendance. The retired licensed practical nurse has been bowling since her late husband bought her “a real ball” over 60 years ago. She loved league play, and in 1984 started going to the US Bowling Congress (then called Women’s International Bowling Congress) national tournament. She hasn’t missed one since. She and her doubles partner then read a flyer about New Jersey Senior Olympics and the first national games for seniors being organized in St. Louis, and after trying them out both events became must-go competitions. In fact, Hazel has not missed any of the three events for more than three decades.

What is most remarkable about this achievement is that, since 1992, Hazel has had to manage chronic rheumatoid arthritis. She considers herself blessed that it affects her legs, feet and toes the worst, and that her hands and fingers have remained able to handle a bowling ball. Because of balance issues, she now stands at the line to deliver the ball. Every day is a battle, but Hazel does her leg exercises each morning to get out of bed and get on with her life. She refuses to let a little pain keep her from doing what she wants to do. The ball keeps rolling.

Further injuries from a car accident in 2014 almost ended Hazel’s sporting career, but she has bounced back. The accident was not her fault, and she still drives herself to play in local leagues twice per week. As she looks forward to coming to Birmingham for the 2017 National Senior Games presented by Humana, her biggest concern is not about her health or getting herself there; it’s about finding a doubles partner to go with her.

Hazel is the perfect example of a Personal Best athlete achieving optimum quality of life by never giving up. As you read through the following conversation, imagine a humble church-going lady, the type who never says a bad word but always speaks her mind. The type who uses faith and self-reliance to take on anything life hands to her.

Life handed Hazel Hassen Bey a bowling bowl, and by God, she’s gonna roll it!

 

Hazel, first off we want to ask about your unique last name, Hassen Bey. Why is it two words?

My husband Mamode was from Mauritius in the East Indies. That was the family name. It’s like McDonald or O’Conner, that’s how I explain it to people. Mamode was a meteorologist in the Air Force. Unfortunately, he had diabetes and died in 1966.

 

Did you ever remarry?

Nooo! I couldn’t find nobody like him.  Nobody would treat me like he did. [Laugh]

 

What did you do for a career?

I was a licensed practical nurse. I went to a school in Pittsburgh. I worked with elderly patients at Preakness Hospital in New Jersey for 30 years. It’s called something else now. Then I worked for the Daughters of Israel in West Orange part-time for 16 years. I retired around 2000 I think. I have trouble remembering things sometimes. I’m 93! [Laugh]

 

Let’s go to the beginning. When did you first start bowling?

I wasn’t even a teenager yet.  I’m from Pittsburgh, and I began with it there. I was from a big family. There were five girls and four boys. I was the first girl, and the fourth child. We lived outside of town, and we didn’t have money to pay for stuff.  So, we kids would run down to the bowling alley to watch, and this wasn’t bowling using the big ball with the holes. The balls were smaller, and you rolled them by hand. After hanging around for a while, people would sometimes ask if we wanted to bowl a game.

 

Did you play any sports as a youth?

No, our high school was way out in the country. I was the oldest girl, so I had to be home after school to help take care of my brothers and sisters. I had to hang onto them and help everyone get fed. My mother had to get some rest sometime! [Laugh] But we did play basketball, and liked to go to the parks with church groups and hike around.

 

When did you begin to bowl regularly?

I didn’t start really bowling until after I got married to in 1952, and I had my daughter Kismet in 1954. My husband found a job on Long Island and brought us up from Pittsburgh in February of 1955.

Mamode was from New Jersey, and so we moved to Patterson in 1957. Well, during that time he bought me a real bowling ball and said he wanted me to get in a league. I said, “Oh no, I’m not that good!” and he answered, “You don’t have to be that good.”

He taught me how to do a hook ball, because my ball was always going into the gutter.  I kept on trying and trying, and finally got better.

 

You have been bowling for more than 60 years now. You’ve been in every National Senior Games over the past 30 years. What has motivated you to keep up the streak?

I like to take the trips! [Laugh] I look forward to going to bowl in the New Jersey Senior Olympics every year, and then traveling to the Nationals every two years.

I have also been going to the [U.S. Bowling Congress] women’s national bowling tournament every year. In fact, I started going to those three years before the Senior Olympics started. And I’ve made every one of those, too!

 

Wow, perfect attendance for three decades in all those events! How did you first find out about Senior Games?

My league partner Elizabeth Cook and I always looked through whatever flyers they had at the bowling alley. I saw something about senior games, and I told her, “Hey, this is interesting. Let’s try it.” We did, and we just kept going. Elizabeth bowled with me until she couldn’t bowl no more, which was when she was 90. The Games in Pittsburgh [2005] was her last time to go. I didn’t quit when I turned 90. [Laugh] But I always go with someone.

I also played horseshoes at Nationals, but when they were scheduled at the same time as bowling one year, I stuck to the bowling.

 

Have you had a regular partner since then?

Not really. It was always Elizabeth and I, and now I go to the Nationals with others from here. There’s a big group of bowlers from East Orange that go. I also had two others that have been my partner for the New Jersey Senior Olympics, and that was Susie Wilkerson and Pauline Dzanewicz. Pauline bowled with her mother in them before her mom died.

Now, I’ve bowled doubles with Martha White from New Jersey quite a bit. She’s younger, like 77 or 78, so I have to play in her age group. I only play in my own age group when I do singles. But we usually come out with a medal at Nationals.

Hazel and longtime partner Elizabeth Cook, 2004Do you feel like you’re Martha’s legal guardian, playing down three levels in age like that?

I feel like I’m legal guardian to ALL of them in our bowling leagues now! [Laugh] Actually, there’s a husband and wife who are around 95 and still bowl in my league in Bergen County.

I’m not the best bowler. My score has gone up over 150 at times. But after my car accident in 2014 I can’t seem to get anywhere near that anymore.

 

Oh my, what happened to you?

A bus hit me on the driver’s side of my car. It wasn’t my fault. I didn’t bowl for many months. The worst injury was to my left shoulder. It still hurts at times, and they keep wanting to push needles into me. I told them, “I don’t need the needles, I’ll just do my exercise.” I don’t know how long I’m gonna live, so I’m gonna do what I want to do! [Laugh] But, I took my time and didn’t take chances trying come back too soon and having a relapse. I’m doing pretty good now in my league-but maybe that’s because everyone else is all bad at it, too! [Laugh]

 

Have you had any other challenges like that?

Oh, yes. In 1992, I started having arthritis. I put my feet down off the bed one day and hit the floor so hard I could hardly see. I thought I was going to die. I couldn’t even walk. I pulled the phone over by the cord and called my daughter Kismet. She didn’t have a key for the door, so I dragged myself across the floor and fell asleep on the door until she came.

 

Are you still dealing with arthritis?

Yes, it’s rheumatoid arthritis. You know, my hands aren’t crooked up at all, but my toes and my feet give me aches and pains all the time. You need those feet to walk. This morning, I didn’t even know if I could get out the door. But I told myself, if my feet can push those pedals on the car, I’m going bowling. And I did!  Now, I don’t drive at night anymore, but I can when it’s light out.

 

Well, you need those feet to make your bowling approach too.

No, no, no. I walk up to the line with the ball. If I do that three-step thing I’d fall on my face with my balance problem. I can’t walk straight without a cane.

 

It’s amazing how you are overcoming all of that to be able to keep doing what you love.

I try. Hey, the good Lord knows what He wants for His children.

If I see I can’t do something right now, I give it a rest and try again. If my foot gives me trouble, I just think it needs some exercise. If I feel so bad I can’t go out for my league, I’ll call and tell them I don’t feel good and when I feel better I’ll let them know. I don’t want people checking in all the time to see how I’m feeling. Let ME tell you how I feel.

 

You get big credit just for showing up, Hazel. It’s helping to keep you fit and healthy.

That’s right, I’m gettin’ my exercise, because that’s what I need. If this was just about getting medals I wouldn’t be there!

 

What do you tell others about staying active?

You know, there’s a lot of things to do out there. Get up from your television. You can walk to the library or to your church. Do what keeps you going.

 

How often do you bowl now, and how do you keep your body in shape?

I bowl twice a week, on Thursday morning here in Essex County with all women, and Friday at noon in Bergen County. That one is senior men and women.

I do exercises with my legs in the morning and at night. I have to do it in the bed before I get up in the morning, because otherwise I know I’ll have trouble with my knees and my feet, and I’ll be falling all over the place. I make sure if I’m going to fall that I can grab onto something to where I don’t break anything. Knock on wood, I haven’t had a bad fall yet. [Laugh]

I do things other things to get out. I’ve taken up knitting with a crafting class at Trinity Presbyterian Church. I make hats, and I’m trying to learn quilting, although I’m not that good at that yet.

 

 

It’s great that you find the strength to fight it. How hard has it been to pull everything else together to get to all of your games, including the travel expense?

I’ll tell you about me. Every time money comes in, a piece goes on the side. I never have to worry about finding money to travel to these games. People say, “My money’s gone already!” and I keep telling them it doesn’t have to be gone. If you put one dollar down, fifty cents even, that’s more than you had before you saved it.

 

You are quite an inspiration, Hazel.

People do say, “You’re an inspiration. You go bowling and go to church and get around. Most people your age are in the hospital.” It’s OK.  In my family, we were brought up being told, “What is going to be is going to be.” My parents taught us that we weren’t greater or bigger than anybody, and we weren’t lower than anybody. They told me to do what I can do, but not to make it like, “I’m the queen.” So I just do what I can do, and it’s OK if people think I’m an inspiration.

 

So, how long are you going to keep bowling?

I’m gonna tell you just like I told my doctor. He asked me, “Hazel, how long are you going to continue to bowl?”  I told him, “Until I walk up to that line, they hand me a ball and I drop it, and it goes where it wants to go.” He said, “You’re kidding!” I said, “No I’m not. If I can get to that bowling alley and get up to that line, I’ll roll that ball.”

 

What is it that inspires or motivates you to keep trying, and to keep that ball rolling?

Life itself.  [Pause] What’s the alternative? What you gonna do?

 

Running in Style – Ann McGowan, 92, Providence, Rhode Island

It’s always good to look your best. For Ann McGowan, it’s essential, even when she’s competing as a senior athlete. That’s because Ann was a hairdresser, cosmetology instructor and salon owner for more than 40 years. As a youngster, she discovered her love and aptitude for hair styling when she was inspired by glamorous stars in the movies and then begged her sister to let her replicate the designs she saw. While not at it full-time anymore, she still styles her own hair and has her tools at the ready to help others.

If we had to describe Ann in one word, it would be “survivor.” Through the course of our conversation with her below, she describes family crises going back to early childhood, and later with the untimely death of her husband while she was still raising her children. Everything she achieved came through patience, persistence and hard work. After starting a family, she successfully obtained her GED and attended trade colleges, where her career path opened.

The same passion and determination that drove her to succeed also brought the love of sports back to her in midlife. She started running again, largely as an activity to work through the loss of her husband and the stress of adjusting to a new life. When she heard there were games for people her age, she immediately signed up and a long journey commenced.

Ann McGowan is grateful to be one of a handful of people who have managed to compete in every National Senior Games. Besides the health benefits she has gained, Ann most enjoys meeting people and the longtime friendships and camaraderie that people find when they participate. Many have been inspired by her journey and example, including her granddaughter, who knew Ann had dreamed of running the Boston Marathon and did it herself to raise money for charity in Ann’s name. That’s the beauty of pursuing your Personal Best, because your journey has a positive impact on others to do the same for themselves.

 

Ann, you are from the smallest state, and yet among only eight people who have been to every National Senior Games.

I’ve lived in Providence all my life. I’m the oldest original homeowner in this neighborhood. That could be due to some stubbornness. [Laugh] Looking back now, I can’t imagine how I made it to all of those games. There were all the things I had to do to get by-paying bills, working, keeping up with my children. Lo and behold, we’ve gone all these years, and here we are!

 

Sounds like you’ve had your share of challenges.

As a youngster, I learned how to survive. My mother passed away when I was five, and two years later we had a step-mother who came in with her own three children. I became an independent person from that time on to get along and move along.

My husband Bill died when I was 49 – he had angina and didn’t make it through the bypass operation. At the time, my daughter was finishing college and my son was still in high school. It was untimely, and a very difficult situation because we were a very close family and my kids were still dependent on their dad. I had two choices- to sit in the corner and end it all, or get up and keep going. I had to survive and learn what to do to cope with my responsibilities. I can talk about it now at the ripe old age of 92.

 

How did you become such a sports nut?

I’ve played many sports in Senior Games, but also when I was growing up. We played on a community playground. That was where we were sent to keep us out of the kitchen. I played hardball baseball with the boys in the neighborhood whenever they would allow. That was usually when they didn’t have enough players.

I learned to swim in the Woonasquatucket River near my house. You either swam or you got swept away.  I got interested in competing in sports in high school. They never encouraged girls to pursue the world of sports back then, but I did all the sports they would allow me to do. Gymnastics was one of my favorites.

My husband played many sports like football and baseball in school. We were an active family and went skiing, ice skating, and roller-skating – things like that.

 

Were you a stay at home mother?

I did not finish high school or go to college at first. I had to take a job to help the family to pay expenses. There were six children in the house by then. After I was married, I decided I should go to college. I went at night to get my GED, and then studied industrial education at Rhode Island College. I then did well in cosmetology school and became an instructor. I taught senior classes in hairdressing and became the manager of the beauty school for the owner.

In 1981, one of my students encouraged me to look at a beauty salon that was up for sale. I took my daughter with me to the bank to get a loan. Remember, I was a widow and in those days, you had to have the husband who supported you go to the bank with you.  The lady we met with was nice enough to hear my story and told me, “I’m going to gamble and give you the loan.” I got the salon!

I still taught at the beauty school early in the day and go to my salon and stay until 10:30 at night, then get up and do it again the next day.  I did that for ten years until we had a devastating fire in the complex that had five businesses in it including mine. The whole thing burned to the ground. That ended my beauty salon, but I still taught and did hairdressing out of my home.

Later on, I needed to have gall bladder surgery and took some time off. I visited the Cherry Hill nursing home five minutes from the house, and they offered a job assisting the nurses. So, I got my white dress and shoes and helped out. After some months, they told me they could use another person in their beauty salon. I stayed there for 27 years. The families all wanted their loved ones to look and feel good, so I made the ladies and men look their best.

 

Are you retired now?

People ask when I’m going to retire and my answer is, “The time I retire is when I go to bed and don’t get up.” After I left the nursing home, I haven’t done it much, but I still do it for shut-in people, those who are home bound. I still cut, tint and style my own hair. I’m 93, and I’m available. Have scissors, will travel! [Laugh]

 

When did you find the opportunity to return to sports?

After Bill died, I started running. Early on Sundays, I would go up to the college nearby with my pocket radio and walk around that track all morning long. I’d do a little running too. That helped me to cope with what I was going through.

One day, I heard on the radio about Senior Games going on at Brown University for people who were 50 or older. I signed up for the race walking and the 100-meter race. That’s how it all began. I made a lifetime friend, Virginia O’Connor, at those first games. There were other games in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine. So, we got around to all of those. Virginia and I heard about the national games and decided to go together in 1987. Oh, my gosh. It was a new world of wonder for both of us. There were more men than women at first. I enjoyed competing with all the other women, and we would look forward to seeing who would come back for the next ones.

 

What sports have you played in national competition?

I ran the 100, 200 and 400 meter races. At that time, there was this girl Pat Peterson who was a college coach and the fastest runner in my group. I was always just a step behind. Always the bridesmaid, never the bride! Also, I watched the field events, and decided to take them on to go along with my track running.

Someone who knew I played softball in high school asked me to join The Golden Girls, a team from Colorado. I was put in as a catcher and substitute base runner- they knew I was a good runner! We won a silver medal at the second games in St. Louis in 1989.

There weren’t any basketball teams in Rhode Island, so Virginia and I got on with a team in Connecticut and played with them at Nationals for a few years. It was fun. We also competed in volleyball in for the National Senior Games in Syracuse in 1991 and came in second. I made one shot that went up into the rafters and wouldn’t come down! [Laugh]

I stopped doing team sports at Nationals after Orlando in 1999. I kept running, and had picked up the long jump, javelin, discus and hammer throw. In the early Senior Games, only the men did the hammer. I went out and bought a hammer and asked to do it at the local games so I could qualify to do it at Nationals. There was only myself and another woman who threw hammer when they offered it the first time at the San Antonio games in 1995.

 

Looking back now, what are your feelings about your experiences?

I’ve had such a glorious time with this. It helped me survive through my troubles in the beginning. I’ve made so many friends, both women and men. There’s a group of us from New England who stayed in the same hotels, worked out transportation and went sightseeing together. Through the years, we got to be like a family. The camaraderie is wonderful. Some are retired or home bound now, but there’s about eight of us still doing local games, and a few still go to Nationals. Because of my work, I’ve been able to continue to pay my way.

I’m grateful and fortunate. The aging process is fine. Getting older is just a number. I try to help people in any way I can help them. For me, to be around to assist other people is the name of my game.

 

Have you had health challenges?

In 1991, I developed a lump in my left breast. The doctor told me what I expected, that it was cancer. I had a mastectomy and was left with one breast. I asked my physician if he would remove the other one. He said, “I can’t do that, you’re not having a problem with it.” I said, “Well, I’m asking you to please do it, because I don’t want to be back in here in another year or two to have this done all over.” To my thinking, it wasn’t so much worrying about the cancer returning, it was how it would affect my sports! [Laugh] I didn’t want to wear the prosthesis. It would be an extra weight I’d have to carry when I ran. The operation was in April and I managed to get to The Games that summer, and I had a good time.

Then, in the past few years, I started having back and spine problems that made it hard for me to run. I had cortisone shots for the pain a couple of weeks before I would compete. I was told I needed to replace some disks with a rod to support my back. It’s not easy to get back surgery like that at my age. But the surgeon said, “Mrs. McGowan, because of the lifestyle you’ve had, your body is in good enough shape that I think we can do it, if you’re game.” I came through with flying colors.

The surgeon said it would take a year, if not more, for me to be completely healed. He wanted me to keep up with physical activity, but advised against competing in The Games. I was very cautious, but I knew my body and made it my games in the New England states.

The Games made me appreciate what life has to offer. You get to meet new people who are interested in the same things. It has motivated me to keep going. It passes on to generations of children. My granddaughters are into track and running, and I am so proud of them!

The way I feel right now I think I can do the events I’ve qualified for. But even if I can only do one event I’ll go. I want to keep up with my friends. My granddaughter Liz says she will chaperone me.

 

Liz told us that you always wanted to do a marathon, so she ran in the Boston Marathon and raised money for charity in your name.

I’ve only done one 5K, back in 1999. My longest race is the 400. I was so proud that Elizabeth would tackle something like that. She worked very hard to raise that money for charity. That was quite an accomplishment.

My other granddaughters, Annie and Bonnie McGowan (Annie was named for me) went on to be track stars of their high school in Virginia, Both girls helped their team win in both indoor and outdoor track at the state level. They were both on the same relay team for national competition. I so much enjoyed going to their track meets to cheer them.

 

Since you are a hairdresser, we suppose you’ve never at a loss for words. What do you tell people about fitness?

Yes, I’m a talker. I think that’s my problem! [Laugh] I enjoy talking with people. I like to hear what they have to say, and I enjoy the camaraderie.

I found through my years of experience that people don’t like to be told what to do. However, if you suggest it in a storytelling way they are more accepting. I talk about my experiences to encourage them.

 

What movie star would you want to make yourself look like for the next National Senior Games?

[Laugh] Well, I always wanted to be [Olympic figure skater and film star] Sonja Henie and look like the movie stars when I was young. I would study their hair when I went to the theater, and talked my sister into letting me style her hair in the way I saw in the movie.

Maybe Marilyn Monroe. I used to have a red dress like she wore in that movie [Gentlemen Prefer Blondes]. But I do my style to fit my own facial features. I want to look like Ann McGowan, so my friends will recognize me! [Laugh]

 

Roy Englert, 94, Springfield, Virginia

For a man who didn’t start running until after he was 50, Roy Englert has made up for lost time. In fact, the level of fitness he has achieved as a senior athlete has undoubtedly added to his time on earth. At 94, the retired U.S. Treasury employee isn’t contemplating anything but continued running and competing to achieve his Personal Best.

Roy was not an athletic type in his youth, though three years of Navy service (including participating in D-Day) during World War II helped to keep his trim form. In his 40s Roy picked up Dr. Ken Cooper’s book “Aerobics,” which advocated running as good exercise, and the path ahead opened.

Within a few years of running casually, a nearby masters track meet caught his attention, and he enjoyed the experience of competing against others of his age. When he got word of a new national multisport event for seniors being organized in St. Louis in 1987, he had to go. Thirty years later, Roy has kept coming for every National Senior Games, and eagerly awaits toeing the line in Birmingham for the 2017 National Senior Games presented by Humana.

Along the way, Roy has steadily racked up more than two dozen USA Track & Field masters championships and has won an armload of National Senior Games medals, mostly in mid-distance track events and road races. In 2013, Roy set a masters indoor record in the men’s 90-94 3000 meter race, and in 2014 he was part of a relay team of runners in their 90s who set three world records at the USATF Masters Outdoor Championships. Their accomplishments were publicized worldwide-check out this New York Times feature about Roy for more background. Since then, Roy has run his way to #1 in National Senior Games all-time rankings for men’s 90-94 for both 5K and 10K events.

However, medals, publicity and accolades are not the great motivators for Roy Englert, who doesn’t display his awards in his house. He literally runs for his life. Competing in sports is the most fun way he has found to motivate himself to maintain optimum health and well being through fitness. Sounds to us like a Personal Best plan to smash the 100 age barrier!

 

Roy, we have to ask you this first. We notice your email address starts with “Frodo49.” Are you a fan of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings books?

[Chuckle] Thirty years ago, when my kids were in high school, all the young people were reading the Rings books, and I picked up on it. Besides the email, I had a personalized license plate for years that said Frodo 49. Frodo is for the book character, of course. The 49 is for the three years I spent in the Navy on LST 49 in World War II. We went to Southern France, participated in the Normandy Invasion, and then went on to Okinawa in the Pacific. They said “Join the Navy and see the world.” So, I’ll never forget 49.

 

Thank you for your service. Before we talk about running, tell us a bit more about your history.

I grew up in Nashville, Tennessee. I graduated from Vanderbilt University in 1943 and went directly into the Navy. After that, I went back to Nashville and went to work for National Life and Accident Insurance Company, which owned the WSM radio station which broadcast the Grand Ole Opry. In the early days, not many people paid attention to the country people coming into town on Saturday nights. Then it got much bigger. I regret I did not become a country singer and get rich. [Laugh]

From there I got a law degree from Columbia University, and then landed a job with the US Treasury in Washington D.C. in 1951. I still live in Virginia 12 miles away from the capital.

 

Were you an athletic kid?

No, I was very small and never competed in anything until I started running casually in my late 50s. I never did any set thing to stay fit, but I’ve always kept active, chasing my kids around you know. [Laugh]

I started running when I read Dr. Kenneth Cooper’s book Aerobics, which said exercise was good for you, and that running was good exercise. He was my inspiration to try it. So, I began running around my basement, which was pretty large back then. I couldn’t go a quarter mile without getting winded. But I kept at it and graduated up to local high school tracks to run on.

 

How did you take the step from running for fitness to competing on the track?

My first competition was when I was 60.  The Senior Games hadn’t started yet. There was a regional masters track meet at Georgetown University, which was close by. Once I got going, I realized I wasn’t a sprinter, so I have mainly concentrated on the longer races like the 400 and 800 meters and the road races. I’ve done the mile also. So, I ran the 400 and 800 at this meet, and there were only two in my age group. I won a silver in one, and in the other one the guy pulled up lame and didn’t finish, so I got the gold. [Laugh]

My son had been going to national championships in judo, and he’s now an international referee for the sport. He encouraged me to do the masters national track championships. I thought, “Well, I got nothing to lose, I’ll go try it.” It was fun, so I just kept going.

 

This was in the mid-80s. How did you find out about the first National Senior Games, and what kept you coming back for every one since then? 

I think I read about it in National Masters News. The first one had track events at Washington University in St. Louis. There weren’t nearly as many people there as are in it now.

I like to compete against others. I compete against myself and my times, but it’s not as much fun if there’s no competition. I don’t go to as many races now because sometimes there’s no competition in my age division. In Minnesota in 2015, there was only Joe Barger and me in our age group for the 10K race.

In Birmingham, I’ll do the 5K and the 400 this time. “God willing, and if the creek don’t rise,” as they say.

I’ve had a lot of fun doing it. The best thing was it gave my first wife, Helen, an excuse to travel. She was my cheerleader. We went all over the country, places I never would have gone. Like Baton Rouge, Louisiana. We went there twice. It’s a delightful town. I think that first one in St. Louis and Baton Rouge stand out.

I was married to Helen for 65 years before she died a few years ago. Last year I got married to Maureen, who I’ve known for 15 years. She travels with me now.  I’ve been really lucky.

 

Looking at your results from the past two Nationals, we see Joe Barger keeps coming in right behind you.

Well, the other times I’ve competed against him in the masters track events he has beaten me. Funny, I didn’t even know he was in the 10K with me in Minnesota. There’s so many folks lining up there, you know. I passed him not long before I made the finish line. I’m sure he was surprised to see me. But that’s what it’s all about.

 

You finally made it to the top, though. You are #1 all time in National Senior Games for men 90+ in the 5K and 10K. You also made a mark in 2014 as part of the 90+ relay team that set age records in masters track competition. How did that come together?

One of the people with the Potomac Valley Track Club came up with the idea. He noticed there were no records for the 90-year-old and up in three relays- the 4×100, 4×400 and 4×800 meter races. He suggested we get together and go set the world records. And that’s what we did.

I enjoyed running with those guys. There were five on our team. Besides me, it was Charles Boyle, Charlie Ross, Goldy Champion and Orville Rogers. Orville is a real phenomenon.

 

Do you think the relay team will get together again?

There’s no reason to do it again once you’ve set the record. Charlie Ross said afterwards that somebody would come along and break it. All records get beaten sooner or later.

 

The media reported about it all over the world.

I got enough publicity at the time. The New York Times called me up out of the blue and the lady wrote up a nice story. What was funny at that time involved a friend of my daughter’s who knew I ran but did not know I had been part of that. He saw my picture in the Times and told his wife, “There’s a 90-year-old runner. I’ll bet Mr. Englert can beat him.” Then he looked closer and said, “It IS Mr. Englert!” [Laugh] But really, I don’t care much for publicity.

 

Do people call you an inspiration for them?

People do that, but I don’t consider myself that much of an inspiration. I’m a slow runner. But I guess I’ve outlasted almost everybody. It gets easier to win when there’s not as much competition around.

 

Turning back to our Games, do you consider yourself lucky to have made it for every National Senior Games?

Oh, yes. Over 30 years a lot of things can happen to you. I’ve just been fortunate. I’ve never been injured from running. I just keep on going. I’m sittin’ here knocking on wood now. [Laugh]

I have good genes, but I’ve also not abused my body. I’ve never smoked or drank to excess. A positive attitude is very important also. For the last 30 years, I’ve gone to Johns Hopkins for an annual physical. They usually say, “Call us if you need us. Otherwise, come back in a year.” As I’ve said, I feel fortunate.

 

No doubt, you’ll keep running as long as you can do it.

I’ve made some speeches about running and aging and I make the statement that people make themselves older. They keep telling themselves, “I’m too old to do that,” and pretty soon they are old. The point is that to some extent it’s a mental thing. Of course, you gotta have a little luck in this life as well.

I get slower every year, but I don’t know why. I know it’s because of aging, but what is it about aging that causes you to get slower if you’re still active?

I’ve been a participant in a study on the aging process at the National Institute on Aging. I go to a hospital in Baltimore every year for three days and they run all kinds of tests on me. This is my eighth year to do it. One of the other relay record team members, Charlie Boyle, is part of it too.

They always ask me a bunch of questions. One of the researchers asked if I ever get depressed. I just laughed, and they asked me why. I told them, “I don’t have time to get depressed. I keep busy!”

 

What do you do now to keep in shape and train?

I run. We live in a retirement community, and I run on the treadmill there.  It’s an acceptable substitute but it’s really not the same. I don’t run on the street except in competition, and they don’t let folks run on the high school tracks around here anymore. But there’s an indoor track in Fairfax County that I go to when I closer to a competition.

Maureen is a power walker. We’ll sometimes go out to the lake park where there’s a path that goes about five miles. She’ll power walk and I run out and back to her. We have a lot of fun doing that.

 

What other things help you to stay busy and active?

I’m a Washington Redskins fan, though maybe not as much as when they were pretty good. [Laugh] My son and I got to go to the Super Bowl in 1991, which was fun. I’m also a great opera fan. I’ve been a longtime subscriber to the Kennedy Center Opera Series for many years, and I’m also a fan of the Virginia Opera Company.

I don’t have any problems keeping busy. I’m on a lot of committees here in my retirement community, and I was on the board of directors at one time. I still have an office where I go regularly to do all of my paperwork.

 

Maybe your military training has contributed to your “go go” attitude through life.

That may have something to do with it. Discipline is very important.

 

So, keeping an office helps you maintain a routine and be more organized?

Absolutely. It also keeps me out of my wife’s way all the time. Too much of a good thing can be too much. [Laugh] Don’t quote me on that! [Laugh]

Jordan Wolle, 89, Las Cruces, New Mexico

No one loves water more than Jordan Wolle. That could be the setup for a joke, given that he has lived most of his life in arid New Mexico. However, he is quick to state his opinion that there are more good swimmers per capita there than most other states. He is also proud to have represented The Land of Enchantment in every National Senior Games since the first in 1987.

Jordan is a keen observer who is never afraid to share his opinion. During our interview, he kept recalling all the little things he could have done better, or about aspects of his meets that could have been improved. His analytical character is likely responsible for his competitiveness and   attention to detail in training. Certainly, he’s always found far more positives than negatives to keep showing up to enjoy all the rewards of being part of the Senior Games Movement.

As a teen, Jordan found he had an aptitude for swimming in high school and city meets around his hometown of San Francisco, California. When he signed up for military service, and then accepted a demanding work contract maintaining computers at the White Sands Missile Range near Las Cruces for several years, it seemed like he had raced his last lap. But as the old saying goes, “Children give you a second chance at life,” and as his three children were growing, Jordan started joining them in the pool for fun. At age 46, he was again racing with 10- to 12-year-old kids in USA Swimming meets, which brought back his own passion from youth.

Jordan has been a fixture in masters meets and in Senior Games since that time, and has traveled the world competing in international meets. His second wife was also a competitive swimmer for many years, but has now been sidelined by Alzheimer’s. Last year, he was also challenged with his first major medical issue, a congenital heart condition that required stents to be installed. True to his nature, the thing that irritated him most about this was that his swimming times have been affected. These challenges have not affected his desire to keep swimming and joining his friends in competition, which is proof that he will always strive for his Personal Best.

As he reveals in the following conversation, once Jordan Wolle finds something he likes, he keeps doing it. And he loves going to the National Senior Games.

 

Jordan, as you know, 2017 is the 30^th Anniversary of National Senior Games, and you’ve managed to splash your way through all of them.

Yes, I’m afraid it will be. Then again, I don’t look any different now than I did 30 years ago. [Pause] No, that’s not true. [Laugh]

 

Are you a lifelong competitive swimmer?

I swam one year in high school and city meets. I was doing the breast stroke, and then the coach put me in the freestyle and I took fifth in the city meet in my first try. So, I decided I was more of a freestyle guy than anything else.

I was 46 when I started swimming again with my kids in 1976. I swam with the 10- to 12-year-old age groups in USA Swimming events. It gave me something to do after work to have fun. A lot of them were good swimmers, and I’ve had some come back to see me. One said, “Mr. Wolle, my biggest thrill was the first time I beat you in the 50 free.” I think, “Gee, did that really make that much of a difference for them?” But it did. So, I got going as a master swimmer at 48, and one thing led to another.

 

Have you just competed only as a freestyle swimmer in senior events?

I used to do butterfly and backstroke, but I like the freestyle. Of course, swimmers can change styles over time. I got to the point that if I don’t like doing something, I’m not going to do it. So, I’ve been just doing free for about ten years. I still like the open water swims.

One thing I like about swimming is that it’s one of the few sports where you can really take your frustrations out. You can just beat the hell out of the water and nobody knows about it. [Laugh]

 

Let’s go back to fill the gap. Please recall for us what you did before swimming came back into your life.

You know, you’re asking embarrassing questions of old people. If it wasn’t yesterday, I’m not sure. [Smile]

I was born and raised in the south side of the San Francisco area of California. In those days, you could go right out the door and steal peaches and apricots. Now, all you can steal is hubcaps because there’s nothing but cars there now.

When I finished school, I entered the Marine Corps after World War II.  Truthfully, I went into the Corps in 1946 to get the veterans benefits. Also, it was because a buddy of mine suggested we both go in. Guess who got accepted, and who didn’t? [Laugh] I went to Guam, Saipan and China on the first tour, and got called back for the Korean War. I lucked out and didn’t have to go there. I was sent to a special radar operation at Keesler Air Force Base in Mississippi.

I went to work for IBM in 1952 and was with them for 35 years, servicing the old accounting machines and then into computers. The first three computers I worked on were at the White Sands Missile Range near Las Cruces, and they filled a whole big room. I lived on the base because I was on call 24 hours a day to service them. It was fun to live there, because you could go drive out looking for arrowheads on the weekends. You aren’t allowed to do that anymore.

 

So that’s how you came to live in Las Cruces, and you’re still there, right?

I enjoy living in Las Cruces. I also bought some property up in the Gila area where I built a cabin. The closest town is 35 miles away. I’m not a hermit, but I do like the wide-open spaces. To each his own, you know.

 

You raised a family, so that proves you’re no hermit.

Betty and I got married in 1961. She was a PE and music teacher. We had three kids, Brooks, Bruce and Bodwin. We named her Bodwin because Betty had a student by that name who was killed along with her mother in an automobile accident on a Christmas Eve. We liked the name and gave it to our daughter.

We stayed together 25 years and then parted. She wanted to do her things, and I wanted to do mine. Since then, we’ve been friends. Last week, we went up to the mountains with Bodwin, and we go out to dinner all the time.

I got married again in 1989. You’ll love this: Marion and I met at the first Games in St. Louis. She was a swimmer, and wanted to know who that good-looking guy in the red Zoot Suit was. We saw each other again at the Huntsman Games in St. George, Utah and it went from there.

The only problem in our marriage, ironically, was the swimming. She did 200 flys and 400 IMs, and I swam all the freestyle stuff. So, at every meet we had to be there from the first thing in the morning until the last event. But we swam in Senior Games and did masters and some world events together. The first we did was in Rio de Janiero. I can look back on it now of the countries I’ve seen – New Zealand, Fiji, Samoa, Australia, Canada, Italy, Morocco, all over the place.

 

Does Marion still compete in Senior Games?

No, she has Alzheimer’s now. She’s hanging on, doing alright. I’ve been getting help with her since early 2016 because I had some heart problems to deal with and couldn’t take care of her anymore, like lifting her to get out of bed.

 

How did you hear about the 1987 Games?

I probably got a letter sent out to masters swimmers, and I thought I might as well go try it out. And I enjoyed it. I believe there were 85 athletes that went to St. Louis from New Mexico.

There were a lot of things wrong with it those first couple of games, but that’s neither here nor there. The wheels figured out that they didn’t have to reinvent it every two years, which is what it seemed like to me. They also got ahold of people that dealt in specific sports to help officiate events, which brought a lot of good change. I think it’s run much better now.

 

Any favorite stops at Nationals along the way?

You know, I remember things, but can’t always recall when they happened unless I get my memory jogged and it brings up something. One thing that always seems the same is that the registration line for the “S” through “Z” names is always the longest. [Smile] It seems that sometimes all you can remember is the things that went wrong. But I guess that’s human nature. I’ve always been pretty good about pointing out problems.

I’d say the first two games in St. Louis were good because almost all of the events were right on the university campus. A lot of people liked Tucson [1997] because everything was close the same way. I really liked the games at Palo Alto [2009]. The facilities at Stanford were good, and I grew up in that area so that made it memorable too.

Whatever the event, whether local, national or world, there’s a lot of camaraderie, going to see your friends again. I’m not real vocal at meets, but sometimes you make a fool of yourself cheering people on.

 

We watched you qualify at the New Mexico Senior Olympics. A lot of people know you.

We have a lot of good swimmers in New Mexico percentage-wise to the size of the state. There’s a guy from Las Cruces, Phil Djang, who is only 62 but he has just about every record in his swims.

 

You’ve met a lot of swimmers through all of the masters and world meets you’ve gone to as well.  

You have an overall better grade of swimmers in those international events, of course. But I think the National Senior Games was never set up to be just for the best swimmers. It’s a nice mix, and that’s what makes it fun. If you had a swim meet and only the “gods” as I call them show up, you wouldn’t have much of a meet. It’s the same with track and field and the others. I have talked a lot of the fancy swimmers to come to Nationals.

 

You’ve had your moments as well, Jordan. Do you have a favorite among those “gods” who have also been to National Senior Games?

Well, there’s the old reliable Graham Johnston. We’ve done some idiotic things together. [Laugh] We’ve done open water swims at the world meets, but I haven’t swam the Straits of Gibraltar in my seventies like he has done.

 

Graham was a 1956 Olympian and holds a lot of records. You often had to compete with him in the same age group. That must have been daunting.

Well, you get going and get used to it. Graham’s is a fast rut, and mine is a slow one, so… [Laugh] As I said, people like him are not the ones who really make the National Senior Games what it is-it’s the athletes in the trenches who keep coming whether they come in first, second or last. There’s all levels of competitiveness in these games.

The only thing I’ve ever done like that was to swim from Alcatraz to San Francisco. But that wasn’t much different or harder from the 5K and 8K swims in other places. Doing that was a glory kind of thing because of where it was.

 

So, what is it that has driven you to come to every National Senior Games? Only seven other people have accomplished that.

I guess I’m a creature of habit. If I start something, I tend to keep doing it. For example, I also started going to the Huntsman World Senior Games in Utah every year, and I’ve been to all of them too except the first, because they didn’t offer swimming their first year.

The National Senior Games also appeal because they’ve been held in different parts of the United States. They’re fun to go to. And my health has been good enough over the years.

 

Being a longtime competitive swimmer has had to help keep you in shape to make it 30 years, too.

Well, I never had any problems with health until last year. I was getting winded when I walked, and it turned out to be a congenital heart problem. It wasn’t the heart itself, it was getting the blood to it. So, they put stents in. There’s one thing that all the doctors say as I leave the office that irritates me: “You’re doing fine for a man of your age.” [Chuckle] I say “Whattaya mean by that?” No two people in one age do the same.  But on the health thing, who knows? For all I know, if I hadn’t been swimming all this time I might be dead now.

 

What would you say to someone who is just turning 50 and new to The Games?

Any sport is good for you. I would tell them to look for a sport in their area they are interested in and join a group. If it’s swimming, join masters swimming. If it’s track, join a track team. Senior Games happen once a year in states. Between Arizona, Texas and New Mexico, for example, there’s probably 15 masters swim meets a year they can go to. It’s better to get involved in clubs. They have coaches that will work with you.

You know, you can always find an excuse not to do something, doesn’t matter what that is. In my case, there were always more reasons to go than not to. Might as well go make an ass of yourself in these games as any place! [Laugh]

 

For more information: DM***@**GA.com

George Freeman, 86, Foley, Alabama

There are just some people in the world that catch you by surprise. When you first meet George Freeman, he doesn’t strike you as an outgoing, gregarious person. He possesses an unassuming and good-natured personality that puts people at ease, and he is a good listener. However, once he starts talking, joking, and telling stories, he has the ability to light up a room without really trying. He also possesses a quiet determination that matches with his love of distance running, and he has covered a lot of ground by competing in every National Senior Games with no end in sight.

As you will learn in the following conversation, the native of Buffalo, New York believes his competitiveness comes from being raised in a large family during the Depression. He loved athletics in school, and after college became a high school health and physical education teacher and coach. He and his wife also maintained a sizable cattle ranch and raised four children. As busy as his life was, George always found time to run for fitness. At age 41, after seeing Frank Shorter win the Olympic Marathon in 1972, he dreamed of doing the Boston Marathon. He attained that goal six times, and ran a total of 26 over the next two decades.

A friend told him about the first National Senior Games coming to St. Louis in 1987, and his marathon run as a senior athlete began. He’s enjoyed competing in numerous sports in New York and at well over a dozen other state games. He’s earned plenty of gold at the state level, but it would take him until 2009 to win his lone gold medal in national competition. He cherishes the memory of that 1500-meter run, and appreciates the opportunity to travel and make friends during his competitive ventures.

After the passing of his wife a few years ago, George decided to make a fresh start, sold his farm and bought a retirement home in south Alabama where he had been wintering and visiting in-laws. This afforded new friends, new experiences, and new games to play in the surrounding region. He is looking forward to representing his new home state at the 2017 National Senior Games presented by Humana in Birmingham.

George considers himself lucky to have made it to all of The Games, but also credits his dedication to fitness and healthy habits for his longevity and being able to ward off the maladies suffered by other family members. He’s particularly proud that he has inspired many of his former students, and his own family, to engage in active lifestyles. That’s what happens when you pursue your own Personal Best!

 

George, take us back to the beginning and tell us about where and how you grew up.

Interesting story: I came from a strict Roman Catholic family. The oldest boy would always go into the priesthood in the old days. Well, Walter Freeman went to Niagara University. First year, grades were great. Second year, they were OK, but the third year they weren’t good at all. Well, Walter didn’t have the guts to go home right away, so he went to work on a peanut farm in Virginia. He eventually told his parents he didn’t have the vocational skills to be a priest.

[Pause] Well, thank God for that, or I wouldn’t be here today!

 

Oh…so Walter Freeman was your father. O-K. [Laugh]

Yep! [Laugh] So, I was born in Buffalo, but grew up in South Byron, a little rural town between Buffalo and Rochester. It was during the Depression. I was one of seven children – five boys and two girls. You can see how I became so competitive with four brothers around. [Laugh] I was always trying to figure out how to stay one step ahead of the others.

I was always athletic. My school was small, so it wasn’t very difficult to make a team. I played baseball and basketball, and I’ve always been a runner. I went to the University of New York at Brockport where I got my degree in health and physical education. I was on the track team and I did play one game of basketball – I scored two points and they cut me! [Laugh]

 

What was your career?

I taught health and physical education and coached a lot of sports – football, wrestling, baseball, track and field, boys and girls basketball, you know, all of them. But of all the sports, cross country was my favorite because those kids were most like me – running all the time. I loved distance running.

I also had a 200-acre Angus farm in New York for 45 years. My wife Helen was a farmer’s daughter and was great working it, birthing cows and so on.

 

When did you start running competitively after you became an adult?

It was the year after Frank Shorter won a gold medal in the Olympic Marathon in 1972. Plus, Dr. Ken Cooper had his step test and promoted the aerobics concept, and I fell right into it. My goal was to run the Boston Marathon. I’ve run 26 marathons, and six were the Boston Marathon. The last one was in 2002.

 

That’s one for each mile in a marathon. Was that your goal too?

No, it just turned out that way.  But I’ll tell you this for sure: I’ve run 26 marathons, and I was tired after every single one! [Laugh]

 

How did you learn about the first national games in St. Louis?

A friend of mine told me about them. He said, “You want to get into this now. It’s going to be big!” I went to St. Louis and I think they had 2,500 or so athletes. Back then you had to be 55 to compete, it’s 50 now.

I was really impressed with that St. Louis Arch and the Museum of Westward Expansion. I recall seeing Charles Lindbergh’s flying license. I try to take in stuff like this when I go to The Games. My wife always enjoyed going to new places with me.

 

Were any of The Games your favorites?

San Antonio [1995] was my favorite to go look around and see things. But I guess my favorite was Palo Alto [2009]. I have only one gold medal in the National Senior Games, and I got it there. I was 78 years old and ran the 1500 meters in 6:56. There were six runners in it, and I had a good idea I would win when I had quite a lead at the end of the first lap. I got to thinking about how many times I’d been to these national games and never won a gold medal. I ran my guts out on the last lap. I was happier than a bug in a rug when I won. [Laugh]

 

You have won many other medals along the way though, right?

Oh yeah, including all colors at the state games. I had ‘em all over the place in my house. My daughter teaches second grade, and when I moved down here to Alabama she kept a lot of them. What she does is give a kid a medal for character. She makes them write a thank you letter to me before they can get it. It’s a great way to get rid of those medals. I just think that’s great! She’s still got a lot of them, and she has three more years before retirement.

 

What sports have you competed in at National Senior Games?

I started with track, but I’ve bowled, golfed, and been in the triathlon, 5Ks, 10Ks, and cycling. The last time I just bowled – singles, doubles and mixed doubles. We came within four pins of a bronze in the mixed doubles. That’s the way it goes!

 

You didn’t run in 2015?

My left knee developed a touch of arthritis. It happened just before the games. I got some shots and a knee brace. I qualified for the 400, 800, and 1500 events, but I think I’m going to concentrate on bowling only again in Birmingham. Maybe I’ll feel competitive in 2019 to run and keep it going. I’d like nothing better than to be 90 and run the 100-meter dash.

 

What do you do for exercise and to keep active now?

I still do a lot of jogging and biking. I run on the golf course, early in the morning. I also bowl and golf quite a bit. In fact, last week I scored a hole-in-one in a local tournament – it’s actually the third one of my life. It was on a 125-yard hole. The average golfer would use a 6-iron or 7-iron, but I used a 3 wood. I guess that gives you an indication of my age! [Laugh] Our group has this rule that you have to treat everybody else to a beer afterwards. That’s pretty bad, they should be treating you, right? [Laugh] But I did get a cash prize for the hole-in-one, and still got $40 back after we celebrated. [Chuckle]

 

How do you keep motivated?

The key motivation for me every day comes right when I get up. I sit up, put both feet on the floor and ask myself, “Is there any reason why I can’t run or bike today?” And I always say, “No!” So, I get up and I’m gone. I go out for an hour, and I feel good about it when I come back in.

 

So you are your own coach?

Yes, I am my own coach.

 

Your fellow athletes certainly appreciate that you have managed to stay healthy and compete in every National Senior Games going back 30 years. How did you do it?

Well, I just hit it lucky, no doubt about it.  I came from a big family, and there have been a lot of weddings and funerals and such that might have conflicted with it. And keep in mind that you must get in shape for the state games. You have to be good enough to qualify to have the right to go to Nationals.

I was 55 when I started the whole thing, and I’ll be pushing 87 in Birmingham, which is right up the road from where I live now. My running and Senior Games has kept me healthy for a long time. It is great for your psyche. Maybe the world is going to hell, but you’re not ready to go with it. [Laugh]

 

Did “good family genes” help with your healthy endurance?

Of the seven children in my family, there are only three of us left. The youngest died early as an alcoholic. One sister died from emphysema, one died from heart problems, and another died from a melanoma. And my remaining brother and sister are all crippled up with arthritis and rheumatism. They are in very bad shape. I don’t have any of that. They all could have done better and lived longer. I was the only one who stayed athletic. I’ve taken one pill regularly, it’s a blood thinner.

 

Other than your knee problem in 2015, you’ve avoided serious injury?

Pretty much. I had a spill not too long ago when I was biking around here in Foley. So I’m riding along the golf course, and all of the sudden this dog comes up beside me. It was a Golden Retriever, the friendliest dog known to man. He didn’t bark or anything, just going along with me. Well, I hit a curve and fell. The first thing I’m thinking on my way down to the cement is, “How is this going to affect my bowling tonight?” [Laugh] Anyway, the dog is all over me, licking my face. His master came out. This must have been a wealthy dog because he yelled at the dog, “Go to your room!” [Laugh]

 

Do you believe you’ve been a role model for others around you?

I don’t know how much of an impact I’m having with the seniors now around me, but back when I was teaching I think I made a big impact on the student body. I’ve had many kids tell me that after they graduated they got into jogging and running to keep fit.

I also have four kids, and they’re all unbelievable. One daughter runs marathons, and the other two are bigtime into Zumba, you know, exercise dancing. That’s great exercise. And a lot of the grandchildren do sports. We had a tragedy and lost our son in an auto accident right after he finished college. He wasn’t even driving.

I lost my wife a few years ago, and I met Suzie after moving here to Foley, and she’s been a great companion. She’s an Alabama native.

 

With the Southern accents all around you, does she serve as your interpreter?

Yeah, sometimes! [Laugh] The people around here are very nice. Southern hospitality is a real thing to me.

 

Why did you decide to retire to Alabama?

The reason is that my wife and almost all my friends in New York had passed on. I was out in a rural area and getting older, and I was reminded of an expression, “Don’t die as an obscure person. Go out in a blaze of glory.” There really wasn’t anything there to hold me. So, I decided to mix things up a bit. I sold the farm to my daughter and son-in-law. My son-in-law’s father lives in Foley. I had gone there as a snow bird for eight years, so I bought a place here. There are a lot of things to do.

 

And now, the National Senior Games are following you to Alabama!

I think it’s just great. I couldn’t believe it the first time I heard they were coming to Birmingham. They have all the facilities there, and I’m sure visitors will be treated to the same hospitality I have found here.

 

You must be grateful to have persevered and be where you are today.

I think so. There’s a story that relates to that. I was an amateur pilot when I lived in New York. I did it into my 80s. Just before I moved south, I was coming back from a flight and the radio beacon wasn’t working at my home airport. I was lost and getting very low on fuel. I had to find a landing area. I said, “God, this is going to be all over the papers. Help me!” I looked down and there was an airport right underneath me, imagine that! Well, I landed alright. After that, I decided that God wasn’t ready to get rid of me yet. And I’m grateful about that. I also decided it was time to quit flying. I hadn’t killed anybody, and I don’t think you get more than one chance like that.

 

Well, you won’t kill anybody running, or bowling, or playing golf.

I won’t kill myself either! [Laugh]

 

For more information: DM***@**GA.com

Ed True, 85,O’Fallon, Illinois

As you read through Ed True’s life history in the conversation below, it becomes clear that the multi-faceted man has never found himself wondering what to do next with his life. It’s also evident that he has made the most from every turn he has taken.

His mantra for happiness and success in life is simple: Don’t do anything you don’t enjoy doing.

There are a lot of things Ed enjoys, based on his accomplishments. The father of five recently celebrated the 50^th anniversary with his wife Myrna, who went to college at age 54 and just obtained her PH.D. He enjoyed sports throughout high school and college, and then saw the world while serving as a flight instructor with the Air Force. He played and coached basketball during that time, and even helped one country start the sport. His business degree landed him a second career working for the banking industry, and he started a small construction business to keep busy. His next step was to begin teaching college business courses, which he continues doing.

That’s just scratching the surface of Ed’s journey. He served as an alderman of his town for 19 years, and on school boards for 28 years. His interest in youth development led him to participate in the Rotary International youth exchange program, helping students come to study in America. On the side, he has been teaching with Junior Achievement for over 40 years.

We’re still not done yet. One of his most enjoyable pursuits has been his participation in the Senior Games Movement, both as an athlete and organizer. As soon as he reached the minimum age (55 at the time), Ed started with the Southwestern Illinois Senior Olympics, and within three years he was elected president of those games. The same year he began, he heard about the St. Louis Senior Olympics and took the short hop over the Mississippi River to join in the fun. In 1985, he participated in the formation of the board that helped create the first national multi-sport event for seniors which made its debut in the Arch City in 1987.

Thirty years later, Ed True continues to enjoy the National Senior Games, and is among a select few who have competed in every one. When he stacks it all up, Ed True credits his ongoing sports participation for keeping him healthy and fit to be able to continue in his many pursuits. It can do that for you, too.

 

Ed, thank you for spending the past three decades with us. Tell us how you got started with sports.

I’ve always played sports. I’ve always competed. I played football, basketball and ran track when I was in high school. I was too busy to play in college, but I did play basketball and later coached teams while I was in the Air Force. My team actually won the European conference three times. The Air Force puts an emphasis on keeping physically fit. I was a pilot and served as a flight instructor for most of my career, which was 20 years. I was in Europe for 11 years and in the Far East for a time.

Interesting sports-related story from that time: While I was coaching in England I was asked if I wanted to go to Ireland to help introduce basketball there through the U.S. State Department. I said, ‘Of course I will.’ The country was just starting out with it at the junior high level at the time, so it was a great opportunity.

 

Really! Now we know why Ireland is such a basketball powerhouse.

[Laugh] Funny, the kids would start dribbling down the court and halfway across they would kick the ball, because that’s what they were used to doing with soccer. Another thing that was foreign to me was that most of these 14-year-olds were smoking during those times. Now, Ireland has banned smoking in their country.

 

What did you do after returning from your military service?

I was hired by banks in the Federal Reserve District of St. Louis to set up their automated clearinghouse. Everything was done with checks at that time, so what I did was the forerunner of direct deposit, ATMs and point-of-sale systems. I also had a little construction business before I started teaching about 17 years ago.

I was also an alderman for my city [O’Fallon, Illinois] for 19 years, and served on school boards for a total of 28 years. One thing I’m proud of was raising the funds and building a new sports complex for my town in 1987. It was the first place in the north where you could play softball indoors. There was even an article about it in Sports Illustrated.

I do a lot of other things to stay active, too. I still teach business courses four days a week at different universities around St. Louis.  I also work with a Rotary North American Youth Exchange Program, and my territory includes six states and Toronto, Canada. This year I have 70 students from eight Asian countries- 35 coming in, 35 going out. I primarily help with obtaining their visas, stuff like that.  There’s also an annual conference that moves around North America, and this will be the ninth year that I’ve been the program chair for it. I do get to travel with the program. In the past three years I’ve been to Bangkok, Sydney and Sao Paulo.

Oh yes, I have been teaching for Junior Achievement for 41 years now. That’s just one hour a week in local schools. And my hobby is repairing clocks. I have repaired about 500 over the last 40 years

 

Good Grief, Ed. You sure have kept yourself busy. When did you ever get rest between business, civic, family and sports activity?

Well, I, ah, I didn’t sleep much. [Laugh] But that was alright. I have a philosophy: I don’t do anything that I don’t enjoy doing.  To me, all this is sort of an extension of Senior Games. I don’t know that I would have been this active if I wasn’t so involved with Senior Games. It keeps me mentally active too.

 

How did you get started in Senior Games? Are you impressed to see how it has grown over 30 years?

Yes, very much so. I was involved in the very beginning. Right when I turned 55, I read in the newspaper about the Southwestern Illinois Senior Olympics, which were run by Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville. So I competed there in a few sports. In fact, after three years they asked me to be the president of their games.

The same year I started, I also found about the much bigger St. Louis Senior Olympics, so I came over the river and competed in them every year. That’s where I met [national games co-founder] Harris Frank and he said they were going to be starting national games. I said “OK, I’ll be there.”

I was actually on the original board for the National Senior Olympics for the first few years by virtue of my role with the Southwestern Illinois games.  It was just a small group when it started out, mostly local people.

When they started using state games as national qualifiers, Illinois started up their games in Springfield. I was also chairman of Illinois Senior Olympics for about three years.

 

Well, thank you for helping as much as you have to get the ball rolling. What sports did you compete in when you entered national competition?

Track and field initially, and I remember I did medal in the 100 meter dash. I also bowled. It wasn’t until later on that I got involved with shuffleboard, the sport I’ve done the last few years.

One thing that really impressed me from the games in 1987 was a blind lady that was out on the track. She had a fellow running along with her, tethered arm-to-arm. She ran along well and it made me think, “Boy, this is the type of thing that’s great for everybody.”   

 

How did you feel the first games went?

The atmosphere was great. l did wonder what was going on and what we were supposed to do at times. It wasn’t nearly as organized as the later ones have been.

 

Do you have any favorites among all of the National Senior Games?

I really have to say all the games have been my favorite. I’ve enjoyed and taken something away from every one.

 

What is the main reason why you have kept doing this?

If I had to sum it into one word, I would say “fun.” Everything I’ve done I’ve enjoyed, especially the people I’ve met. Some you only see every two years, and it’s like an “old home week” reunion. Friendly competition is what I really like. If you come in second in the race, you’re going to be the first one to congratulate the winner, that type of thing. There’s very few people that take it too seriously, and that keeps the competition fun.

 

It makes sense that you like to play doubles with a partner at The Games.

I’ve had several along the way. For many years, my bowling partner was Alice Perdis, who is unfortunately no longer with us. She was quite a bowler, kept about a 200 average. Naturally, we always won. So doubling with her was an easy way to get a gold.

My current shuffleboard partner at Nationals is Alice Carroll from New York. My local shuffleboard partner used a cane and a wheelchair and it was just too much for him to go to nationals any more. So I called your office looking for a partner, and that’s how we got together. We got the gold the very first year.

 

What attracted you to keep going with shuffleboard?

Well, it’s a lot more than just pushing the disc down the court. There is some strategy to it, and I’ve seen others use different strategies. I know mine works for me. I’d like to keep doing track at Nationals, but I often have summer teaching jobs and can’t be away for more than a few days, so it’s hard to stay longer to do two sports.

 

You mentioned the blind runner. We bet you have had a lot of special moments over the years.

Oh yes. I had a track friend named C.L. Bruce. He taught me the triple jump, even though we are in the same age division. About five years ago we were competing to qualify in a race in the Missouri Senior Games. As we were going down the track, it looked like we were going to be 2^nd and 3^rd. He said, “Here, hold my hand,” so I grabbed his and we went across the finish line holding hands. We brought the house down.

 

Do you have any plans to retire from sports?

As long as I’m able, I’m going to keep competing. I don’t know how long that’s going to be, but I’m looking to compete at 100.

 

If you didn’t do senior sports, what do you imagine your life would have been like?

I probably would not have been as dedicated to stay physically fit. It makes me always want to stay fit. I go to our local YMCA at least 5 times a week. I pride myself on keeping my weight down. A lot of my contemporaries like to watch TV. I’m not a big TV watcher.

 

What would you say to someone about getting involved in The Games?

I do get asked quite a bit, especially people I meet at the Y. When I ask why they aren’t doing it, they say, “Well, because I don’t know what I could do.” There’s a lot of sports you can do. You don’t know what you can do until you try it. Go for it.

 

From hearing your story, it’s clear you’ve always been willing to try something new.

Definitely. That is what life should be about. Senior Olympics is just an extension of that.

 

So here’s our closing question: Do you have a stunt double like in the movies? It’s hard to believe all of the things you still pack into your life!

[Laugh] No, no stunt double. I don’t think anyone would want to be my double. [Laugh]

 

For more information: DM***@**GA.com

Dottie Gray, 91, Saint Louis, Missouri

 

When Dottie Gray signed up for the first national sports competition for seniors in 1987, she had no idea how fa

r the road ahead would stretch. In fact, before she was 54, the petite powerhouse had no idea she would even become a runner, or that her example would inspire many others to pursue fitness.

Dottie had no competitive sports history growing up, burning energy riding her bike all over south Saint Louis instead. She kept active with the task of raising six kids until she picked up tennis with the help of her husband at 44. Ten years later, she entered a local road race on a whim, training alone at a nearby junior high school track. She ran the race and went home. A friend called to tell her she had won her age group and to come back for the trophy. Dottie joined the St. Louis Track Club and never looked back.

The St. Louis Senior Olympics, one of the first of its kind in the country, captured her fancy, and in 1987 she eagerly entered the first National Senior Games (then called the National Senior Sports Classic) held in the Arch City. Dottie became one of eight athletes who have competed in all National Senior Games over three decades.

Dottie’s love of running has been a year-round avocation. She’s completed five marathons (including the 100^th running

 

 of the Boston Marathon), 37 half marathons, and countless 5K and 10K road races. Whenever she travels, she always finds a race she can enter, from San Francisco’s colorful “Run to The Far Side,” to Tampa’s balmy “Gasparilla Distance Classic.” With a daughter in Maine, Dottie repeatedly ran in the Falmouth Road Race in Massachusetts, and made nearly every “Beach to Beacon 10K” race in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. She recalls at one point in the 1990s she ran five races, in four different states, over a two-week period. No wonder other runners swear she was the model for the Energizer Bunny!      

2015 was a special year as Dottie turned 90 and had three different birthday parties thrown by her family, her senior living center and her track club. Family members also ran in a race with her to celebrate. The big sports moment came when she established a world record as the first 90-year-old woman to complete a 5,000-meter race, which was held at the Huntsman World Senior Games, NSGA’s Utah qualifying games. CBS Sunday Morning captured her in action for a 2016 feature story.  Watch Here.  

For Dottie Gray, it’s literally been a great run, and there’s a lot more road ahead as she continues to pursue her Personal Best. We have no doubt she’ll keep running, and inspiring others to keep moving, for many more years to come.

 

Dottie, what does it mean to you that your hometown was the birthplace of the National Senior Games?

I think it’s great. I’m really proud that we did it here in St. Louis. But it’s also been nice to go to different cities and states that I never would have gone to. I like that it’s moved around.

 

How did you get into Senior Games?

I first read about it in the paper, and clipped out a form and filled it out. Then, at the bottom it said you must be 55 [the minimum age at that time] and I was 54 so I couldn’t do that the first year. These were the local St. Louis Senior Olympics, put on by the Jewish Community Center. They’re still going and they do such a fantastic job.

The next year, I played tennis in the morning and did my runs in the afternoon.  After a year or two they scheduled both sports in the morning, so I ‘ve just been running since. I did the 100, 200, 400, 800 and 1500 races, plus the 5K and 10K. Of course, I entered the national event when it came about in 1987.

Every year I still go to the St. Louis games, and I’ve been to Columbia for the Missouri Senior Games. Also, every year I go to St. George, Utah for the Huntsman Senior Games and they are really well run. Of course, I’ve done the National games. Every one. I’ve always done a lot of other races. I’ve run five marathons and 37 half marathons. A lot of 5Ksand 10Ks too. I always try to find a race when I travel.

 

What makes National Senior Games different from your other running events?

Well, in many of my other road races now I have to run against women 20 years younger than me, because they just don’t have any for my age group. I meet so many people at Nationals, and I think the athletes are kind of special. You go back every two years and get to see people you’ve met before. Of course, some of them aren’t there anymore, but I enjoy going and always look forward to it.

 

Has any one of the National Senior Games been a favorite for you?

St. Louis was my favorite, but I thought Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1993 was one of the best. They did have it there a second time, probably because of the way it was run. I mean, everything just went great.

Also in 1993, they featured me on the poster for the Baton Rouge games. I didn’t even know about it. I was very surprised, here I was on this poster. It turned out nice. Some of my children got one framed for me.

 

That’s better than being on a Wheaties box!

It’s so funny that you mention Wheaties. Last year, a dear friend took a Wheaties box and put a photo of me on it for my 90^th birthday. I keep it in my kitchen, so every morning I see my Wheaties box with my picture on it. I never did eat the Wheaties. They’re still in there! [Laugh]

 

It’s clear that you are a running freak. When did you get hooked?

Not right away. I really didn’t do too much formal exercise, but I had six children-three boys and three girls-and they kept me running. My late husband, Ben, started taking the older children over to the tennis court at Kirkwood Park, which was only three miles away. So I would come over sometimes with a baby on my lap and watch them play.

One day he came home and said, “Oh Dottie, they are starting a women’s league.” I had never even had a racquet in my hand, but we went over there and I signed up. There were three other women who had never played before, so we started together. My husband would also hit with me for practice. So I played tennis in the spring, summer, and fall. I progressed up the levels and really enjoyed it. I made some good friends.

Ten years later, when I was 54, Kirkwood started a Green Tree Festival and they set up a two-mile and a five-mile run. I lived a block and a half from the junior high which had a track, so I started going over there every day to train. When I finally got around the track nine times I thought I could do the two-miler, so the first year I did that. Everything went well and I went home. Well, the phone rang and my friend Joan said, “Dottie, come back to the community center, you won in your age group!”  So I went back and got my trophy, and I still have it. That did it for me.

There were runs almost every week around St. Louis, so I would enter every chance I got. Then I started going over to Illinois for runs and regular track workouts with my friend and coach Bob Hyten.

 

Your husband played tennis with you, did he run with you too?

The only thing Ben got up early for was golf. He thought all runners were crazy, that a group of people out running around on the streets, sometimes in the rain, was outrageous.

When I had my first marathon, he saw me “hit the wall” at the 20-mile mark. I finished, but after that he said, “No more marathons.” Well, I ran four more after that, but I never told him I was doing them. He’d ask what I’m training for and I’d say, “Oh, just a run.” “How long, Dottie?” “Well, longer than usual.” [Laugh] He did support me emotionally, but he just didn’t let it on to anyone else.

 

How often do you run now?

I still run a couple of miles several days a week. It’s always nice to get out. I moved to a senior living community in Kirkwood called Aberdeen Heights a few years ago. I do exercise classes there three times a week. In the winter, I’m not crazy about going out, so I’m happy that I can stay inside and run around a certain area of the building, and it’s like a mile and a half.

I usually run at least three 5Ks a month. I enjoy it so much that I just keep running, you know. Until last year, I’ve run the Beach to Beacon 10K that Joan Benoit Samuelson started. My daughter Mary lives there and we both know Joanie well.  In 2009, it was scheduled at the same time as the National Senior Games. At the time, I was a “streaker,” a runner who had done every race. So, I had to make a choice of which one to give up, and I went to Palo Alto for Nationals instead. It still gives me a little anxiety. [Laugh] I’ve stopped doing 10Ks, but I’ll always go there to volunteer.

This year, Aberdeen sponsored me in the local Jingle Bell Run. They made it Dottie Gray Day and brought out a group of residents in a bus to watch me run. They gave everybody long sleeve shirts that said “Ho! Ho! Ho! Go Dottie Go!” I was even on the news on two TV stations that day.

Another fun thing was that 13 of my family members wore the shirts and ran with me, too. I think it’s because I’ve slowed down now and they can finally keep up with me. [Laugh]

 

Speaking of TV, NSGA lined you up to be part of a CBS Sunday Morning feature about senior athletes in 2015. What was it like seeing yourself on a major TV program?

Yes, it was awesome. I never dreamed I would be on national television. I didn’t realize until you told me that I would be the first 90-year-old woman to ever officially finish a 5,000-meter race. I wasn’t all that fast, but It’s fun to think that I didn’t break a record…I made the record.

 

You’ve inspired many personally, and now you’ve inspired a lot more people you don’t even know.

I think I’m healthy because of my running. My kids and everybody else thinks so too. I do encourage people to exercise or run.  A lot of people, even some men, tell me they have started running because of me. I feel really good about that.

I just think that running is so great for you. its good exercise. And it’s easy to do. You can just put on your shoes and go out the door, you don’t need a racquet or any equipment. You don’t have to jump up and run. Just start walking, and every day try to go a little farther and a little faster. Pretty soon, you’ll be doing a 5K. You have to practice, and it’s really important to have good running shoes.

So, I keep active and I have no health problems. I never have taken any medication, except once for some allergy, and it went away. In fact, I’ve never had a headache. I had seven siblings, and none of them are with us now. A lot of them developed osteoporosis as they got older. There’s been cancer and some dementia too. Compared to them, I’ve been healthier. I guess running has helped me.

 

Our last question is a dumb one. You don’t have any plans to stop running, do you?

It’s something to look forward to doing every day. I’m 91 now. I always thought as I was getting older, “I’d like to compete until I’m 90.” Well since I got there I now say “No, I’ll just compete as long as I can run.”

I always told my kids I’m not competitive and they’d say, “Oh yeah, you’re not competitive.” I have to admit now I always was. [Laugh]

 

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