As host of the 2025 National Senior Games presented by Humana, Iowans have the honor to carry the flame for the cauldron lighting at the Flame Arrival Ceremony July 25 at the Iowa State Capitol.
The featured athlete to light the cauldron will be 91-year-old Carroll Marty of Ames, who has been competing in the National Senior Games since 1995 and will play Badminton and Disc Golf. As a testimony to his extensive volunteer service, the city of Ames named their disc golf course in his honor when he built the course for the community. (Read more in our 2016 Athlete of the Month story.)
Top row (left to right): Carroll & Gary Marty, Ann Hegstrom. Bottom row (left to right): Kristy Matthews, Nick Bal.
Carroll has inspired many, including his son Gary who will compete in his first National Senior Games in Des Moines. His sport? Disc Golf, like Dad of course! Gary, who lives in British Columbia, will join Carroll to light the cauldron to ignite the Games.
“Most of us do not have a chance to compete in Senior Games with a parent,” he says. “When Dad heard that the 2025 Games would be in our home state of Iowa, I eagerly accepted his invitation to compete in the disc golf tournament. I look forward to creating memories that we can share during the years we have left together.”
In addition to Des Moines Mayor Connie Boesen, three additional Iowa athletes will also carry the torch at the kick-off event:
- Ann Hegstrom, 69, from De Soto will compete in 11 events, from Power Walking and Race Walking to Track & Field and the Mile for the Ages run. As you can read in Ann’s 2025 Athlete of the Month feature, she is a breast cancer survivor and former teacher at the Iowa Braille School who inspires everyone with her presence and personality.
- Kristy Matthews, 52, is an Iowa native who was a four-time Iowa High School State Champion and went on to compete at Iowa State University and San Diego State University. The speedster turned heads when she returned to the track and set a 50-54 age group world record for the indoor 400 meters in 2024. She is on the watch list by many for this new phase of her athletic journey. Watch Growing Bolder’s interview with Kristy here.
- Nick Bal, 55, is a lifelong tennis player from Ames who will experience his first National Senior Games in Des Moines. Nick is deeply involved in family and church and has 21 years of fundraising experience in a variety of philanthropic fields. He is following in the footsteps of his parents, who were Senior Games medalists in Badminton, so Nick hopes to earn a medal one day to add to the family collection.
Don’t miss this inspiring and fun evening! All special event details are available here.
By: Del Moon
