From “Misfit Farm Kid” to Super Senior Athlete

By Del Moon, NSGA Storyteller Don Phillips, 94 Sioux Falls, South Dakota Some people assume that most National Senior Games competitors are lifelong athletes. In reality, we estimate that over half of Senior Games athletes either returned to a sport or took up new ones in midlife, and some discover hidden abilities as they progress.

Seven people stand together smiling in front of a movie screen.

2025 Games Athlete and Community Well-Being Programs

By Andrew Walker, MPH; NSGA Director of Health & Well-Being Health and well-being resources for athletes and the broader community will be available throughout the 2025 National Senior Games presented by Humana. Key highlights include the Sustained Athlete Fitness Exam (SAFE), Optimal Aging Day in Iowa health exchange, a tai chi skill-building workshop for athletes

Faith O'Reilly deadlifts at a USA Powerlifting meet.

Lifting and Loving Life

June 2025 Athlete of the Month By Del Moon, NSGA Storyteller Faith O’Reilly, 82 Saguache, Colorado Look anywhere online and you’ll see Powerlifting is having a moment. Older women who powerlift have particularly captured the spotlight. Catherine Kuehn, 95, inspired the “Strong Grandma” documentary, and one Instagram video promoting the film racked up over 11

A National Senior Games athlete wearing goggles mid-stroke during a freestyle swimming race.

Get in the Senior Games and Flip the Script on Aging

By Andrew Walker, MPH; NSGA Director of Health & Well-Being May is Older Americans Month, and this year’s theme, “Flip the Script on Aging,” is the perfect way to describe what happens every time an athlete steps onto the field, track or court at the National Senior Games. Whether you’re sprinting, swimming or volunteering, you

Dr. Rajeev Trehan stands in an indoor gym space. He is holding a badminton racket and shuttlecock while smiling at the camera.

Mind Over Racket

May 2025 Athlete of the Month By Del Moon, NSGA Storyteller Dr. Rajeev Trehan, 70 Lawrence, Kansas Dr. Rajeev Trehan has a secret weapon he uses to defeat opponents in badminton, and it’s not because he was born in India, where the sport originated. It’s not because he has played most of his life. What

An older woman and two younger women pose together and smile. The older woman is wearing athletic apparel and a bib number from a road race.

Ready, Set, Move! How to Prepare for Mile for the Ages

By Andrew Walker, MPH; NSGA Director of Health & Well-Being Something new is coming to the National Senior Games! The Mile for the Ages will debut on Friday, July 25, 2025, at the Iowa State Capitol Grounds as part of the 2025 National Senior Games presented by Humana. This age-friendly, intergenerational event invites athletes, friends,

Ann Hegstrom sports her signature red, white and blue look with pigtails during a race at the National Senior Games.

Overcoming Fear by Example

April 2025 Athlete of the Month By Del Moon, NSGA Storyteller Ann Hegstrom, 69 De Soto, Iowa The National Senior Games showcases older adults performing impressive athletic feats, but some, like Iowa native Ann Hegstrom, stand out from the crowd with their personality and presence. Ann captured our attention in Albuquerque in 2019, dressed in

A physical therapy student walks briskly alongside a National Senior Games athlete as part of the Sustained Athlete Fitness Exam. A banner for the SAFE program hangs in the background.

First Tool to Evaluate Senior Athlete Fitness Published in Journal of Aging and Physical Activity

Research conducted at the National Senior Games over 12 years has led to the publication of the first tool available to evaluate the physical fitness of athletes aged 50 and older. Becca Jordre, PT, DPT, PhD, and Wendy Viviers, PT, DPT, MPhil are lead authors on “The Sustained Athlete Fitness Exam – Outcomes of U.S.

An older woman with sits smiling. Her arms are held up with numerous sports medals draped across them.

P is for Perseverance…and Patsy

By Del Moon, NSGA Storyteller Patsy Lillehei, 81 Edina, Minnesota Life is full of unexpected twists and turns. Some people face more obstacles than others, and it’s easy to give in and leave dreams and goals on the shelf. Not Patsy Lillehei. This might have been a lifetime athlete story as evidenced by her intense

An older athlete leaps to hit a volleyball over the neck on a beach volleyball court.

Train Smart for National Senior Games Open Sports

By Andrew Walker, MPH; NSGA Director of Health & Well-Being With four months to go, there are still opportunities to participate in the nation’s premier celebration of active aging through sports – the National Senior Games. Anyone age 50+ can participate in select Open Sports at the 2025 National Senior Games presented by Humana. The