Dottie Gray, 91, Saint Louis, Missouri   When Dottie Gray signed up for the first national sports competition for seniors in 1987, she had no idea how fa r the road ahead would stretch. In fact, before she was 54, the petite powerhouse had no idea she would even become a runner, or that her

Heart and Soul – Georgia Billger, 77, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware Georgia Billger has a competitive heart. This is evident by watching the senior athlete’s passion on the pickleball court, and from a history of participating in multiple sports going back to her high school and college days in Pennsylvania. At one point, she was the

A Legacy Honored – Tom McAdam, 60, Greenwood Village, Colorado Whether it’s a lifelong athlete, or a person getting involved in Senior Games at a later age, a first step has to be taken to get in the game. Before that step is usually an inspiration, and families frequently provide the spark. Tom McAdam’s spark

The Great Awakening – Cheryl Cherry, 67, Clermont, Florida To watch Cheryl Cherry cycle in competition, one would not believe she only took up the sport less than four years ago at age 63. But there she was, at the top of her game, winning a gold medal in the 10K and silver in the

Sportingly Yours – Don Hoeppner, 85, Whitewater, Wisconsin Will Rogers famously said “I never met a man I didn’t like.” In the case of Don Hoeppner, you could say he never met a sport he didn’t like. In fact, he often writes the closing line “Sportingly Yours” in his letters and emails. The retired CPA

Catch Me If You Can – Harold Bach, 96, Bismarck, North Dakota People have always had trouble keeping up with Harold Bach. At 96, the North Dakotan should have earned a dictionary entry under the word “active” by now. He’s pretty fast on the track too, and has been a fixture at the National Senior

Standing Up to MS – Eleanor Pendergraft, 80, Johnson City, Tennessee Eight years ago, Eleanor Pendergraft pondered her fate. She had been disabled for 25 years with multiple sclerosis (MS), an autoimmune disease that affects the brain and spinal cord. A walker, wheelchair or motorized scooter was her only means of getting around. Her neurologist said

A Personal Best Life – Tom Lough, 73, Round Rock, Texas Tom Lough is, by his own estimation, a man who does not possess special skills or talents, athletic or otherwise. How, then, does he explain a life of accomplishments that includes competing in Modern Pentathlon at age 26 in the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico

The Sense of Success – Marika Vorosmarty-Blumerick, 71 Shelby Township, Michigan While all Senior Games athletes strive to perform at their best, the reasons vary as to what motivates them. Some still have the burning desire to win and earn medals, while others seek to maintain health and vitality, to set goals, to measure and

“Wait to Worry” – Ryan Beighley, 90, The Villages, Florida Most of us can (or one day will) point to a moment or experience that brings about a profound change. When you ask 90-year-old Ryan Beighley what has motivated him to keep running and swimming through his life, the decorated World War II veteran has