Be Your Personal Best…FOR LIFE!
There’s another definition of “personal best” that anyone can achieve. It’s not about a peak time or distance in sports; it’s about overcoming obstacles, staying motivated throughout your life and inspiring others by your example. This results in greater longevity and a healthy, active lifestyle – and that is your Personal Best!
Click Here to learn more about the purpose of the Personal Best health and wellness initiative.
Use the search box to find athletes by name or year of feature.
A Three Generation Legacy
Dwight Smith, 94 Terry Smith, 74 Christi Smith Daigle, 51 Baton Rouge, Louisiana The theme for the 2023 National Senior Games presented by Humana is “Bridging Champions Through the Ages,” placing a spotlight on the intergenerational impact of Senior Games on families and society. The idea came from seeing so many children of senior athletes
- Published in 2023 PB
Reversed Roles
Jody Smith, 61, Atlanta, Georgia Jody Smith should have been named Jody Sports. It’s been her passion for as long as she can remember, and basketball was her favorite pastime. She was a standout player in high school and college and has been inducted into her college hall of fame. Jody and her husband Mark
- Published in 2023 PB
Making Space for Sports
Larry DeLucas, 72 Birmingham, Alabama There are many singular achievements that can be made in sports, but only Larry DeLucas can say he once slam dunked a basketball weightless more than 250 miles above Earth. That’s one of the interesting facts discovered when we followed up on the rumor that there was an astronaut playing
- Published in 2023 PB, Personal Best Featured Athletes
Jack Eckenrode’s Happy Trails
Jack Eckenrode, 94 Bulger, Pennsylvania Some athletes inspire others with their ability. Others inspire just by their example. For cyclist Jack Eckenrode, it has taken 17 years of competing to win his first National Senior Games gold medals at the 2022 Games held this year in Fort Lauderdale. But Jack has a happy army
- Published in 2022 PB, Personal Best Featured Athletes
Being There
Lindsay Tise, 103 Winston-Salem, North Carolina It’s an achievement to live to a ripe old age. The real hope is to also have good health, a clear mind and an active lifestyle to go with it. It’s one thing to get there, but quite another thing to BE there. Lindsay Tise is “there.” At 103,
- Published in 2022 PB, Personal Best Featured Athletes
Irresistible Force
Alice Tym, 79, McDonald, Tennessee Alice Tym has been known by many people for different things. Tennis fans knew her as a rising star of the ‘60s, challenging other rising stars like Billie Jean King and ascending to a #13 world ranking in 1969. Teammates at the University of Florida knew her as the woman
- Published in 2022 PB, Personal Best Featured Athletes
Swimming’s Spiritual Warrior
Herman Kelly, 67, Baton Rouge, Louisiana You can talk about skill, physical ability and focus as key elements needed to be a successful athlete at any age. One also needs the intangible boost and motivation that comes from having a passion for your sport to see it through. Herman Kelly’s passion for swimming goes much
- Published in 2022 PB, Personal Best Featured Athletes
Courting History
Joyce Jones, 91, Seattle, Washington Joyce Jones has compiled an admirable athletic record by winning more than her share of championships in three racket sports over seven decades. She can’t even guess how many medals and tournaments she has won in badminton, tennis and pickleball, because her focus has been more on the pursuit of
- Published in 2021 PB, Personal Best Featured Athletes
Like Father, Like Family
Ray Tingstrom, 78, Colorado Springs, Colorado Mick Tingstrom, 54, Woodbridge, Virginia “It’s like a family” is a phrase commonly heard among Senior Games athletes to describe their feeling of connection with others pursuing the same goals to live active and healthy lives. There are real family ties when a son or daughter decides to follow
- Published in 2021 PB, Personal Best Featured Athletes
Living a New Chapter
Yvette Matthews, 67, Durham, North Carolina For most of her life Yvette Matthews enjoyed good health to the point that she didn’t know what feeling very sick was like. Genetics can contribute to such good fortune, but we suspect her regular involvement in a variety of sports since youth, including playing semi-pro volleyball as an
- Published in 2021 PB, Personal Best Featured Athletes