Athlete of the Month
Each month, NSGA selects an interesting athlete to highlight from the vast diversity of people who participate in National Senior Games. These stories demonstrate the spirit of The Games and the benefits of fitness, fun and fellowship that athletes enjoy through their competitive efforts. Everyone has a story to share – what’s yours?
Click Here to submit your information, or nominate someone who inspires you!
Use the search box to find athletes by name or year of story.
A Phish Out of Water
Philipp Djang, 65, Las Cruces, New Mexico The pandemic has disrupted all sports, but perhaps none as much as swimming. Cross training is a part of preparing for competition, but when there’s no pool, swimmers are literally fish out of water. We called Philipp Djang, one of the most decorated swimmers in National Senior Games
- Published in Athlete of the Month
Meatless Meets: A Vegan’s Perspective
Ellen Jaffe Jones, 67, Sarasota, Florida While only a fraction of senior athletes follow a vegan diet, there is a trend with more turning to this option. Traditional opinions by coaches and athletes say that you can’t perform as well athletically on a purely plant-based diet, but runner Ellen Jaffe Jones is out to disprove
- Published in Athlete of the Month
This Team Doctor is On the Team March 2020 Athlete of the Month
Dr. Boyd Haynes, 61, Newport News, Virginia Virginia’s Bone Setters 55+ Men’s Volleyball team has a not-so-secret weapon that their name gives away- they have an orthopedic surgeon on the team. Dr. Boyd Haynes has been playing with the same group of guys around Newport News since the mid-1990s. At the time he had started
- Published in Athlete of the Month
Leonid’s Table of Good Health February 2020 Athlete of the Month
Leonid Sukher, 70, Brighton, Massachusetts Leonid Sukher has enjoyed table tennis since childhood. Growing up relatively poor with no access to equipment, he and friends made paddles out of scrap plywood to play. Little did he know as a youth that getting serious about his game would help regain his health later in life. Born
- Published in Athlete of the Month
January 2020 Athlete of the Month
Madonna Hanna, 66 Tacoma, Washington The Boomer Widow and the Olympic Hopeful Life challenges can sometimes cause people to give up on goals and dreams, but Madonna Hanna was determined to not let that happen when her husband Steven passed away in late 2018. A widow’s search for a new track coach led to an
- Published in Athlete of the Month, News and Events
December 2019 Athlete of the Month
Bob Messersmith, 86, San Juan Capistrano, California “If you want to be old, you’re old.” Bob Messersmith has built a senior basketball dynasty. The teams he has organized and coached have won the California Senior Games championship 18 out of 20 years. His Team USA has dominated National Senior Games in five age categories over
- Published in Athlete of the Month
Kneed for Speed – November 2019 Athlete of the Month
Kathy Meares, 70, Baton Rouge, Louisiana Kneed for Speed Kathy Meares has never needed to be told to go out and play, and her youth was filled with sports. Growing up before Title IX, the Louisiana native did not have the opportunity to earn an athletic scholarship, but she avidly competed in intramural volleyball and
- Published in Athlete of the Month
October 2019 Athlete of the Month
James Jackson, 53, Denton, Texas Smoking the Competition It’s rare for a runner to win best overall times in both the 5K and 10K road races in a National Senior Games. It’s only happened four times in our 32-year history, most recently in 2011. Now, James Jackson of Denton, Texas joins that elite group with
- Published in Athlete of the Month
September 2019 Athlete of the Month
Alice Walker, 87, Chester, South Carolina Nothing Keeps Alice Down If you compare Alice Walker’s lifestyle and athletic accomplishments to her history of medical issues over eight decades, you would not believe she is the same person. A horrific accident left her with limited use of her left arm. Her kidney needed to be removed.
- Published in Athlete of the Month
August 2019 Athlete of the Month
David Salazar, 69, Cedar Crest, New Mexico Performing a Lofty Role NSGA’s official highlights video from the 2019 National Senior Games presented by Humana sought to go beyond action clips and honor the athletes and the people of Albuquerque and New Mexico by selecting a local athlete to represent them in an unusual way. The
- Published in Athlete of the Month
