“You Gotta Have Heart(s)” – August 2014 Athlete of the Month

James “JJ” Jones, 68, Kansas City, Kansas Listening to JJ Jones tell his story, it’s hard not to start humming “You Gotta Have Heart” from the popular musical Damn Yankees. That’s because he continues to swing a bat after not one but two heart transplants. The Kansas native spent much of his childhood in California,

The Long Run – August 2014

Association News VOTE and SHARE – 2013 Games Up For Best Amateur Multisport Event Award The 2013 National Senior Games Presented by Humana is nominated for “Best Multi-Sport or Multi-Discipline Event” in the 2014 SportsTravel Awards poll hosted by prestigious SportsTravel  Magazine. The SportsTravel Awards recognize excellence in the organization and management of sporting events at the amateur,

“Sister Act” – July 2014 Athlete of the Month

Janet McDonough, 56, Cranberry Township, PA and Patty Sweetall, 54, Louisville, KY It was like old times when sisters Janet McDonough (right in photo) and Patty Sweetall gave dominating swimming performances in Cleveland at the 2013 National Senior Games Presented by Humana. Janet, of Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania, earned four gold medals while breaking national records in

The Long Run – July 2014

Association News Show Me State Hosts NSGA Personal Best Tour The NSGA Personal Best Tour traveled to Columbia, MO on June 20 to help celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Missouri State Senior Games and to spotlight 65-year old Jane Kaiser of St. Louis. Kaiser keeps busy as a clinical nurse and speaker, and has

The Long Run – June 2014

Association News NSGA Personal Best Tour Goes Coast to Coast  Portland, Maine – Jerry LeVasseur On May 31, Maine Senior Games held a kickoff luncheon where we recognized 76 year old Jerry LeVasseur with a Personal Best Award. While we recounted his harrowing experience surviving life threatening burns from a famed circus tent fire that

“You Are What You Eat” – June 2014 Athlete of the Month

Michele Brown, 55, Lamar, Arkansas As a physical education teacher, 55 year old Michele Brown loves to be a role model for fitness. “Everyone who knows me says I am one of the most active and competitive people they know,” says the lifelong resident of Lamar, Arkansas. “When I found out about Senior Games, I

The Long Run – May 2014

Celebrate Older Americans Month 2014 Association News New NSGA Spotlight Video Debuts Visitors to NSGA.com can now view a brief “spotlight video” that explains NSGA’s health and wellness mission and promotes the unique status of the National Senior Games as the largest multi-sport event for people 50+ in the world. The video was made possible with

“School is Never Out on Fitness” – May 2014 Athlete of the Month

Dr. Paul Miller, 96, Normal, Illinois When Dr. Paul Miller talks about the importance of exercise and shares his routine, he can’t help if it sounds like he is lecturing. That’s because he is a retired professor of sociology and anthropology from Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, just a few miles from his home in

“Finding His Rhythm” – April Athlete of the Month

Dave Kirgan, 62, Bowling Green, Kentucky As a race walker, 62 year old Dave Kirgan of Bowling Green, Kentucky knows the importance of finding a rhythm and focusing on fine details to keep moving. He also knows all too well the consequences of falling out of rhythm. A career Air Force man, Dave kept in

The Long Run – April 2014

Association News NSGA Annual Conference Discovers “Minnesota Nice” More than 90 people dedicated to the Senior Games Movement converged on Minnesota for the NSGA Annual Conference to meet, interact and learn through meetings and workshops designed to help with common topics shared by state games organizers. This year was also an opportunity for states to