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

Shuttling Around The World – Debbie Lorenzo, 64, Las Vegas, Nevada It’s only fitting that Debbie Lorenzo found herself settling into Las Vegas two decades ago. The previous years, beginning in her native Singapore, were full of action, surprises and excitement-and not all of it pleasant. She gambled on her life moves, scored on opportunities

Against All Odds – Brenda Talley, 60, Las Vegas, Nevada What happens when life suddenly deals you one bad hand after another? Do you fold, or do you find a way to play it out? Brenda Talley, who was diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer in 2008 and has undergone more than 40 rounds of chemotherapy,

  From left: Monica, Tom, “Pop”, Nancy, Buffy, Dan, Carl Jr. The Family That Plays Together…-The Horstman Family, Evansville, Indiana As the biennial National Senior Games approaches its 14th gathering of athletes since the first event was held in 1987, we are delighted to see more and more intergenerational participation. Earlier in our history, we