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.
January 2019 Athlete of the Month
Heide Moebius, 80, Lancaster, Pennsylvania 80-Year-Old Makes Birthday Run in the Cradle of the Marathon What does your average person think about doing when they turn 80? Heide Moebius is definitely not average, because she set a goal of running a marathon in Greece and finished in Olympic style. The feat is remarkable, but not
- Published in Athlete of the Month
Extra Frames – December 2018 Athlete of the Month
Joe Dorough, 68, Dardenne Prairie, Missouri Joe Dorough knows what it feels like to get a second and third chance in life, and he’s making the most of it. The 68-year-old retired Teamster started bowling at age of ten and it became his favorite activity. “I did it regularly, except for the times when I
- Published in Athlete of the Month
Too Good Not to Share – November 2018 Athlete of the Month
Betsy Hall is like many people who participate in Senior Games–she loves it so much, she is motivated to tell others to get involved and keeps after them until they do. The Ohio native was a late bloomer who did not participate in sports as a youth, but caught the running bug at age 45
- Published in Athlete of the Month
Heart to Heart – October 2018 Athlete of the Month
David Kucherawy, 66, Washington, Pennsylvania All dog owners enjoy a bond with their pets, but David Kucherawy has a special connection with his cocker spaniel Raleigh. In fact, he jokes that in a sense they saved each other’s lives. David has been competing in sprint track events and collecting medals in masters and Senior Games
- Published in Athlete of the Month
Seventh Decade Stretch – September 2018 Athlete of the Month
Bonnie Strang,75, Millsboro Delaware Softball has the second-highest athlete participation of all sports in the National Senior Games. Since Bonnie Strang first entered Delaware Senior Olympics in 2007, she has become known as a talented and fierce competitor among Senior Games softball players. While Bonnie also enjoys playing badminton and pickleball in recent years, she
- Published in Athlete of the Month
The Old College Try – August 2018 Athlete of the Month
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
- Published in Athlete of the Month
Just What the Doctor Ordered – July 2018 Athlete of the Month
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
- Published in Athlete of the Month
“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









