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.
“High on the Poles…and the Polls” – June 2018 Athlete of the Month
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
- Published in Athlete of the Month
“Driving” Miss Peggy – May 2018 Athlete of the Month
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
- Published in Athlete of the Month
“Badminton- Straight from the Source” – April 2018 Athlete of the Month
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
- Published in Athlete of the Month
“Super Hero” Still Practices What She Teaches” – March 2018 Athlete of the Month
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
- Published in Athlete of the Month
Father and Daughter Keep Each Other “Running for Life” – February 2018 Athlete of the Month
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
- Published in Athlete of the Month
“Second Chance at a Dream” – January 2018 Athlete of the Month
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
- Published in Athlete of the Month
“The Long and Short of Bob Lida” – December 2017 Athlete of the Month
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 Hall
- Published in Athlete of the Month
“Thirty Years Through Alice’s Looking Glass” – November 2017 Athlete of the Month
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
- Published in Athlete of the Month
“Service With a Smile” – October 2017 Athlete of the Month
John White, 66, Milwaukee, Wisconsin John White takes his sports seriously, make no mistake about it. But we’ve noticed that even in the heat of a triathlon, he’s always the one who waves and manages to beam a smile as he makes his way by spectators. The more you learn about the lifelong Milwaukee resident,
- Published in Athlete of the Month
“Daughter Inspires Mom to Get Back in the Saddle” – September 2017 Athlete of the Month
Candace Kennedy-Hess, 63, Kintnersville, Pennsylvania Six years ago, Candace Kennedy-Hess thought her cycling days were long over. The challenges of a single mom raising kids, earning a master’s degree at NYU, and pursuing a successful sales and marketing career had relegated her custom bike to be a garage wall hanger for 16 years. “I grew
- Published in Athlete of the Month