Ken Mink, 83, Maryville, Tennessee An often-heard joke among senior athletes after a good performance is, “Too bad you don’t have any college eligibility left.” Of course, no one takes it seriously, right? Basketballer Ken Mink did, setting a most unique sports record in the process. Ten years ago, at the age of 73, the

Susan Paulson, 62, Alexandria, Minnesota Cyclist Susan Paulson enjoyed an active youth, biking on gravel roads and ice skating near her northwest Minnesota farm home and discovering her competitive nature by playing recreational volleyball and basketball and running track in school. She was also active in dance line and as a hockey cheerleader. But gradually

Brad Winter, 66, Albuquerque, New Mexico When Brad Winter was a kid, he and his friends liked to use a broomstick to jump up on walls. “My father got us some bamboo poles, and we would spend hours and hours on weekends with a pole vault run we fixed up with boards and dirt in

Peggy Birkenbuel, 79, Fairbanks, Alaska When athletes travel to the National Senior Games, they usually fly if the drive is more than a day or two. Not Peggy Birkenbuel, 79, who has driven her car two out of three times to The Games from…wait for it…Fairbanks, Alaska. “It takes me four days to get from

Kamal Chaudhari, 83, Temple Terrace, Florida The game of badminton has been around for more than two thousand years, but it did not gain worldwide popularity as a competitive sport until 19th century British colonists found “Poona,” as it was called, in the city of Pune (pronounced the same) near Bombay, India. They brought it

Darcy McBride, 66, York, Nebraska Darcy McBride has more than 6,000 blessings to count. The Nebraska native retired from a 28-year physical education career in York public schools eight years ago, but until last year she continued to practice her passion – training youngsters how to swim. Last year, when she finally stepped away from

Rod McGregor, 61, Hudson, Ohio There’s a saying that “children give you a second chance at life.” Rod McGregor agrees, since he was inspired by his daughter to get back on the track again after 30 years. A current resident of Hudson, Ohio, Rod loved running in high school, and chalked up league championships in

Liz Sharp, 70, Monroe, Louisiana Liz Sharp has always believed in giving second chances, and has witnessed it many times as a personal assistant and administrative consultant with pastors in North Louisiana over the past 32 years. She put that belief into action with her own ministry that has operated a rooming house in Monroe

  Bob Lida, 81, Wichita, Kansas One of the names that appears repeatedly in National Senior Games track & field sprint records is Bob Lida. His name also appears next to age division world records and other high marks in masters track events, which has landed the Kansas native in the USA Track & Field

Alice Carroll, 85, Syracuse, New York In a way, Alice Carroll wishes she was one year older. The 85-year-old retired nurse from Syracuse, New York has participated in all National Senior Games since they began…well, almost. She wanted to go to the first gathering in St. Louis in 1987, but there was a problem. “I