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.
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
The Ambassador of Fitness
Vince Obsitnik, 83, Peachtree City, Georgia People become role models to those around them when they join the Senior Games Movement. In a way, all senior athletes are ambassadors for active, healthy aging. But there’s only one athlete we know who has actually officially served our country as an ambassador – runner Vince Obsitnik, who
- Published in 2021 PB, Personal Best Featured Athletes
The Fall and Rise of Hollyce Kirkland
Hollyce Kirkland, 100, Sevierville, Tennessee The match was set. The anticipated “Battle of the Centenarians” had created a buzz in Albuquerque at the 2019 National Senior Games presented by Humana. Media lined up to cover the 50-meter race between 103-year-old Julia “Hurricane” Hawkins and upstart Hollyce Kirkland, who had just reached triple digits. When the
- Published in 2020 PB, Personal Best Featured Athletes
“I never want to grow up!”
Simeon Gipson, 74, Tahlequah, Oklahoma A highlight of “Indian Day” activities held during the 2019 National Senior Games presented by Humana in Albuquerque was a live national broadcast of public radio’s Native America Calling. During the hour-long program, Oklahoma cyclist Simeon Gipson, who is half Cherokee and half Choctaw, captured the audience with his story and
- Published in 2020 PB, Personal Best Featured Athletes
Comeback Kate
Kate Fisken, 77, Bethesda, Maryland People who know Kate Fisken say she has a heart as big as the ocean. Perhaps that’s why she swims, but it’s really a statement reflecting on the retired Maryland accountant’s lifelong commitment to serve others, which dates back to when President Kennedy called on citizens to do “what you
- Published in 2020 PB, Personal Best Featured Athletes
“Mr. Impossible”
“Mr. Impossible” Andy Steinfeldt, 71, Minnetonka, Minnesota People are realizing how much more they can do and achieve in the second half of their lives, and that applies to every senior athlete who is challenging aging stereotypes. When we see stories about Senior Games athletes doing unexpected and sometimes extreme things, we take notice. In
- Published in 2020 PB, Personal Best Featured Athletes
Quiet Courage
Bonnie Coleman, 64, Bernalillo, New Mexico “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” ― Winston S. Churchill When we asked New Mexico Senior Olympics to recommend a female athlete who exemplifies the journey to persevere through obstacles and challenges to enjoy their own optimum health and
- Published in 2019 PB, Personal Best Featured Athletes
“When I walk, I think about my tribe – I think about the youth”
Ralph Paytiamo, 81, Acoma Pueblo, New Mexico Ralph Paytiamo is proud of his heritage. With history dating back 2,000 years, New Mexico’s Acoma Pueblo is said by many to be the longest continuously inhabited community in America. While many traditions and cultural practices have survived and there are many strong and wise members to carry
- Published in 2019 PB, Personal Best Featured Athletes
Family Matters
Hope Casias, 76, San Antonio, Texas Sports offers the individual many rewards through setting goals, training and competition. It provides exercise with a purpose, and brings the added benefit of camaraderie among athletes who share the same experiences. Team sports provide an even deeper connection and the added satisfaction that comes from working together. For
- Published in 2019 PB, Personal Best Featured Athletes
Love Finds A Way to Hit the Mark
Ron Gauvin, 60 & Patti Gauvin, 58, Milton, New Hampshire When Ron Gauvin enters an archery competition, it’s quickly noticed that something special is going on beyond shooting arrows. Despite balance challenges and a paralyzed right arm, Ron manages to get to the line and let fly using a stabilizer bar and a special strap attached
- Published in 2019 PB, Personal Best Featured Athletes