The Long Run – June 2013

Personal Best Tour Visits Ft. Jackson, SC and Phoenix, AZ

The variety of setting and athlete profiles continued to grow as our Personal Best Tour spotlighted an Army tennis player in South Carolina and a salon owner in Arizona.

On Armed Forces Day we saluted Col. Jamie Houston, a 59 year old Army dentist who recruited an entire base team when he couldn’t find anyone to practice with. Our ceremony was on the tennis courts at Ft. Jackson and featured a tennis demo involving the base commander, senior athletes and nationally ranked members of the University of South Carolina women’s tennis team.

Then, we joined with the Arizona Senior Olympics on May 30 to celebrate Older Americans Month with a joyful presentation in the Phoenix City Hall atrium. 65 year old Elli Edgar lit up the audience with her Personal Best character as she spoke about overcoming cancer and other setbacks to fulfill a ten year dream to make it to the National Senior Games Presented by Humana with her lifelong friend and badminton playing partner.

You can read our latest athlete profiles and blog entries for our events on the Personal Best Page.

June Athlete Profile Updates are Posted

Our first six featured athletes have been adding to their profiles each month. In the June updates they talk about how they train and prepare for competition. Visit the page and read about the various ways Mark, DeEtte, Howard, Mary, Mike and Kay approach their events.

PERSONAL BEST PAGE AT NSGA.COM

Senior athlete Ron Snipe loves geography.  He made it his college major, studying in Mexico City and earning degrees at the University of Utah and Utah State, where he played on the varsity soccer team.  A large portion of his career has been as a sales rep, consultant and research geographer for a major education publisher.  The Port Angeles, Washington resident is an avid traveler who has visited nearly 200 countries.

So, it should be no surprise that Ron, now 69, would keep traveling when he returned to athletic competition for the first time since college. In less than seven years, he has competed in 42 states – championships in Senior Games, Senior Olympics and the State Games of America.  Swimming is his main sport, but he’s entered in over a dozen others, earned an armful of medals and qualified for the 2013 National Senior Games through the Maryland, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Wyoming State Games.

Ron’s goal to be all over the map may seem obvious, but swimming in every state is really a means to an end. “I’m just having fun traveling and staying healthy,” he told us from his cell phone in the midst of tackling seven sports at the Empire State Senior Games in Cortland, NY.  “I do a lot of sightseeing while I’m going around. I’m enjoying life now.  I’m a Vietnam combat vet and every day is precious to me.”

Even more important than that is the people he has met. “I now have friends from all over the country.   I’m always cheering for the competitors. It’s not about medals, it’s about sportsmanship,” he said. “I’m also pretty well known to the organizers. I always bring smoked salmon from Washington to the game directors and swimming pool coordinators.  I just love people.”

4 Simple Tips Can Help You Age Successfully 

Here are some successful aging tips that Humana recommends to help you and your loved ones maintain a good quality of life:

• Keep Learning. Make it a habit to keep your brain active and engaged by trying out new recipes, reading challenging books or doing puzzles.
• Get Enough Sleep. When life gets hectic, we forget to get enough sleep. As you age, it’s important to get seven to eight hours of sleep each night. Insomnia affects almost half of adults 60 years and older. If you have trouble falling or staying asleep, make a few changes in your habits, such as skipping daytime naps and starting a regular exercise program.
• Seek Out Friends, Family & Neighbors. Studies have shown that friendships and the social support network developed at senior centers, churches and neighborhoods not only prevent loneliness, but also provide a ready source of intellectual, physical and volunteer activities.
• Exercise! There is an exercise out there for everyone; talk to your doctor before starting any new activity. The health benefits obtained from an exercise plan, such as reduced risk of heart disease and depression, are especially important for older adults. Activities like Zumba, dancing or yoga can be good places to start.
• To learn more, Humana recommends you see your primary care doctor today.

NSGA thanks Humana for sharing this article. For more information on a wide range of related topics, please visit Health and Well Being in the Learning Center at www.Humana.com.

NSGA Online Merchandise Store Now Open

Get your Games gear today!

Now you can be the first on your block to wear NSGA and 2013 Senior Games gear with the opening of The NSGA Store at www.NSGA.com. With a couple of clicks, you can view and select from the first line of apparel to be made available featuring the official logo of the 2013 Senior Games.

More items will be added as the games get closer. Of course, a wide range of merchandise will be available for sale at multiple venues during the games, but you’ll want to grab something early to let everyone know you’re an athlete in the senior games movement. So get in gear now!