Gary Patton, 77 Rock Rapids, Iowa Gary Patton never dreamed he would one day be an elite athlete. “I was 4 foot 11 in high school and underdeveloped. I was not athlete material at all.” Now 5’4” at the age of 76, Gary has become a tall figure in mid distance running, finding himself on

Charlotte Sanddal, 100, Helena, Montana When she first jumped into a pool to learn to swim at the age of 72, Charlotte Sanddal was only thinking about finding a way to stay healthy and active. Then when she began competing in the Montana Senior Olympics in 1994, she earned her first medal and was hooked

Doug Dvorak, 62, Donelly, Idaho  Doug Dvorak loves playing pickleball, and his passion for the game comes from a series of life challenges he says he overcame by taking up the popular sport. Speaking from a hotel room in Philadelphia, Doug demonstrates his obsession. “Guess what I have with me?” he asks. “My pickleball paddle! I

Lily Yip, 59 Dunellen, New Jersey   There was a buzz in the hall when Lily Yip stepped up to play table tennis at the 2022 National Senior Games presented by Humana. After all, it’s not every day you can watch an Olympian play. The Chinese born ace always excelled at table tennis and started playing professionally

Jim Siegel, 75 Milwaukee, Wisconsin You must have passion to stay with a sport. That passion can be about the need for competition, being socially connected with others with the same interest, or it can be as basic as enjoying an activity for what it does for your health and wellness.   “Without passion you

Bob Griffiths, 62, Riverside, California “Don’t worry…about a thing…cause every little thing gonna be alright.” Attendees to the 2022 Celebration of Athletes were soothed by the words of Bob Marley that were sung by track sprinter Bob Griffiths, who also energized the crowd with his words of encouragement. The teacher, worship leader and certified wellness coach

Marc Sacco, 57, Reading, Vermont Cyclist Marc Sacco once had aspirations for the Olympics until a road accident relegated him to recreational cycling and running in his 20s. He had no notion of returning to competition until extreme challenges prompted him to pursue it as part of recovery therapy. His professional background also gave him a

Lisa Hypnar, 68, Rochester Hills, Michigan Lisa Hypnar has an athletic nature and has always found a sport to play, from tumbling in gymnastics as a youth and playing winning tennis as an adult, and now cutting lanes as a decorated senior swimmer. She also started smoking in her early 20s. Lisa knew she was

Bruce Boyd, 82, Neptune Beach, Florida Bruce Boyd isn’t one to shy away from second chances. When he found Senior Games, he embraced the second chance to throw things around on a field as in his youth. The two-time Florida Senior Games track and field athlete is excited to discover masters sports and to be