Sue McCarthy, 53, South Portland, Maine Spectators and the media frequently spend more time lauding the accomplishments of our oldest athletes, and they are truly worthy of the attention. On the other hand, there are also equally impressive performances in the youngest sport age divisions. Case in point: Maine sprinter Sue McCarthy, whose first

Elmo Shropshire, 80, Novato, California While visiting the 2016 Florida Senior Games, we found an athlete whose name may not be familiar, but whose voice is instantly recognizable. That’s because Elmo Shropshire is the man who gave the world the smash hit holiday novelty song “Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer.” The 80-year-old runner hails from

Carroll Marty, 82, Ames, Iowa Carroll Marty has found the key to happiness and longevity, and it’s the same for all senior athletes: just keep moving. However, the 82-year-old has taken it to a level where it’s hard to keep up with the Iowa native and longtime resident of Ames. It’s not that he’s been a

Brenda Matthews, 67, Anaheim Hills, California Trackster Brenda Matthews is at the top of her game. Last year, the four-time National Senior Games competitor scored four gold medals at the 2015 Games in the women’s 65-69 50, 100, and 200 meter races, plus the long jump. She also helped her 4×100 relay team earn a silver

John Younce, 68, South Shore, Kentucky Just about anyone who golfs has a bucket list of courses they hope to visit while they chase the little white ball and ponder life. There are dozens of individual dream courses such as Pebble Beach, Pinehurst and TPC Sawgrass, but one name on many lists represents a collection

Jean Davies, 71, Los Lunas, New Mexico The beaming lady you see here is 71-year-old track and cycling athlete Jean Davies of Los Lunas, New Mexico. She is not just smiling to celebrate winning gold medals in five events at last month’s New Mexico Senior Olympics, where she caught our eye. Jean is also happy

Fred Winter, 101, Holland Michigan Many recall the epic battle of centenarians in Minnesota last summer at the 2015 National Senior Games presented by Humana. The matches between Fred Winter and John Zilverberg in men’s 100-104 discus, javelin and shot put were hotly contested and caught the attention of many media outlets, including Sports Illustrated and

Jane Katz, 73 New York City, New York   Dr. Jane Katz has made a lot of waves in her field. She earned her doctorate degree in gerontology and geriatrics from Columbia University and is nationally recognized as an educator, aquatics innovator and author of 14 books on swimming, fitness, and water exercise. She has

Jerry Lindsay, 79 Las Vegas, Nevada Sooner or later, Jerry Lindsay finds himself in the middle of the action. “I’ve always been blessed with the ability to make friends and get along with people,” he tells us. “I guess it comes naturally to me.” The Los Angeles native, who as a youth ran track and

Barbara Bradley Hagerty, 56, Washington, DC You often hear how writers express the desire to be immersed in their subject, but usually it’s not taken literally. Barbara Bradley Hagerty, a best-selling author and career journalist who reported for National Public Radio from 1998 to 2014, had no idea she would competing in the 2015 National