SIGN IN YOUR ACCOUNT TO HAVE ACCESS TO DIFFERENT FEATURES

FORGOT YOUR PASSWORD?

FORGOT YOUR DETAILS?

AAH, WAIT, I REMEMBER NOW!
Contact Us: NSGA@NSGA.com
  • HOME
  • NSGA OFFICIAL STORE
  • PARTNERS
  • DONATE TODAY
  • DESTINATIONS

National Senior Games Association

National Senior Games Association

The NSGA is a non-profit organization dedicated to motivating active adults to lead a healthy lifestyle through the senior games movement.

T (727) 475-1187
Email: NSGA@NSGA.com

National Senior Games Association
PO BOX 5630, Clearwater, FL 33758 USA

  • ABOUT
    • How to Get Involved
    • NSGA Showcase Video
    • History of the NSGA
    • Board of Directors
    • Foundation Trustees
    • Team
    • Sports Chairs
    • National Games Awards
    • 30th Anniversary
    • FAQs
    • Contact Us
    • Career Opportunities
  • STATE GAMES
    • State Games Information
    • State Regions
    • Team Partner Finder
    • NSGA Award Winners
  • NATIONAL GAMES
    • How To Qualify
    • National Games Information
    • 2022 Fort Lauderdale
    • Athlete Check-In
    • Registration
    • Rules & Minimum Performance Standards
    • Competition Schedules
    • Results & Records
    • Special Events
    • Team Partner Finder
    • Transportation & Parking
    • Hotels and Lodging
    • Volunteer for the Games
    • Limited Events Verification Form
    • National Senior Games Partners
  • SPORTS
    • INDIVIDUAL SPORTS
      • Archery
      • Badminton
      • Bowling
      • Cornhole
      • Cycling
      • Golf
      • Pickleball
      • Powerwalk
      • Race Walk
      • Racquetball
      • Road Race
      • Shuffleboard
      • Swimming
      • Table Tennis
      • Tennis
      • Track & Field
      • Triathlon
    • NON-AMBULATORY SPORTS
      • Non-Ambulatory Bowling
      • Non-Ambulatory Cornhole
      • Non-Ambulatory Shuffleboard
    • TEAM SPORTS
      • Basketball
      • Beach Volleyball
      • Soccer
      • Softball
      • Tri-Relay
      • Volleyball
  • HEALTH AND WELLNESS
    • Get In Shape With Ageility
    • Zibrio Health and Wellness
    • Heartline Study
    • Falls Prevention Resources
    • NSGA Steps Challenge
    • Exercise & Well-Being Resources
    • Humana Healthy Living and Prevention Resources
    • Senior Athlete Fitness Exam (SAFE) & Games Ready
    • Fitness Videos
    • ACE Training Tips
    • NSGA Ambassador Program Activities
    • National Senior Games Partners
  • MEDIA
    • Photo Galleries
    • Games Videos
    • #StayFitSeniors Athlete Videos
    • Senior Games Blogs
    • Games Daily News Archives
    • Archived Press Releases
    • Newsletter
    • Press Room
    • Athlete of the Month
    • Personal Best Features
Donate Now
 April 13, 2021

“Whatever is hard for you to do, do it over and over” – March 2021 Athlete of the Month

“Whatever is hard for you to do, do it over and over” – March 2021 Athlete of the Month

by Del Moon / Friday, 05 March 2021 / Published in Athlete of the Month

Brenda Frelsi, 62, Glendive, Montana

When Brenda Frelsi tells you about hard knocks in her life, she means it literally.

Until she was 45, the Wyoming native had enjoyed a relatively normal and active life. Winter sports is her passion, and one day she was skiing with her 8-year-old daughter Sarah and they decided to race on densely packed snow that was icy in places. “I only remember that feeling of my skis being yanked off and the sound of my helmet hitting the ice,” she recalls. “I had only worn a helmet a few times, but it definitely saved my life.”

The impact caused damage and bleeding on her brain, along with memory lapses and loss of physical abilities, but she was not one to take it lying down. “I can’t imagine not being outside and part of a community of active people,” she asserts. “I feel like I was born with a drive to be physically active, so to give that up would have been a life of depression.”

Brenda decided the best way to regain movement was to ‘get back on the horse’ by using cross country skiing and biking as part of her slow physical rehabilitation process. “The short-term memory loss came back within a few months, but I remained clumsy. My brain takes so long to tell my limbs what to do that if I tripped I was already on the floor before my body could react,” she explains. “But I have learned two things from this: First, give your brain up to ten years to reconnect pathways and repair what it can. Secondly, whatever is hard for you to do, do it over and over to regain what you can.”

Three years and many falls later, she found more steady ski legs, and only two years after that she entered the Wyoming Senior Winter Games and won both the 5K skate and the 5K cross country ski races. She felt burned out on running after high school and college, so she didn’t think Summer Games were for her until she compared times in past National Senior Games and realized she could be competitive.

While more of a mid-distance runner, Brenda decided to try sprints and also enter field events in long jump, triple jump and shot put. In her debut 2013 appearance in Cleveland, she surprised herself by earning two medals and was hooked. She enthusiastically says, “I was going to go once, but I had so much fun I kept going!”

In four trips she has now racked up eight national medals, including three as part of a 4×100 relay team. The career Lutheran pastor relocated from Casper to northeast Montana two years ago and has her sights set on competing in the Montana Senior Games and testing her progress next May in the 2022 National Senior Games presented by Humana.

Brenda is grateful for regaining enough ability to compete and stay active. “I’m still robotic. My right side and left side don’t work in rhythm. But I’m doing it,” she says. “While I am still somewhat clumsy, training and competing in the Senior Games has brought me more health and ability than anyone, including my doctor, ever thought possible.”

Editor’s Note: March is Brain Injury Awareness Month. Learn more here.

  • Tweet

About Del Moon

What you can read next

“Pickleball Over Parkinson’s” September 2020 Athlete of the Month
“Joy on the Track” August 2020 Athlete of the Month
Meatless Meets: A Vegan’s Perspective April 2020 Athlete of the Month

Recent Posts

  • Living a New Chapter

    Yvette Matthews, 67, Durham, North Carolina For...
  • The Long Run March 2021

    Association News 2021 Personal Best Debuts With...
  • Just Another Archer Having Fun April 2021 Athlete of the Month

    Rick McKinney, 67, Gilbert, Arizona When Rick M...
  • Pickleball Sport Specific Training

    As I mentioned in my pervious article, pickleba...

Archives

Categories

FOOTER MENU

  • About
  • State Games
  • National Games
  • Sports
  • News and Events
  • Partners
  • Donate Today
  • Press Room
  • Memorial Fund
  • Coordinators Homepage
  • QG Coordinators

Select list(s) to subscribe to


By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: National Senior Games Association, P.O. Box 5630, Clearwater, FL, 33758, https://www.nsga.com. You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact

GET IN TOUCH

T (727) 475 1187
Email: NSGA@NSGA.com

National Senior Games Association
PO Box 5630, Clearwater, FL, 33758 USA

  • GET SOCIAL
National Senior Games Association

Copyright Notice | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Linking Policy | Help/Contact
© 2021 National Senior Games Association. All rights reserved.
Designed by JayBirds Co Inc.

TOP
NSGA Uses Cookies
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.

SAVE & ACCEPT
2022 National Senior Games - May 10-23, 2022 392 Days 10 Hours 26 Minutes 45 Seconds