Don't let the gray hair and crow's feet fool you. The athletes who participate in the National Senior Games may all be 50 or older — but some of these folks can outperform whippersnappers half their age.
More than 12,000 athletes from around the country are expected to gather in the Twin Cities July 3 through 16 for the National Senior Games, an every-other-year event being held here for the first time. All competitors must be over 50; many are in their 60s and 70s and up. Some are approaching — maybe even past — the century mark.
They include serious athletes who hold national or even international records in their age categories.
"There are some athletes who are world-record holders and they're just unbelievable," said Jane Shallow of Crystal, a Senior Games veteran who plans to compete in basketball and javelin-throwing (see page 5). "And there's some, like me, who say, 'I can do the sport and I'm going to do the sport at whatever level I can manage.'"
"It's for everybody," said Beth Pinkney, executive director of the event. "You don't have to be a classy athlete — everybody can compete."
People get involved for different reasons, Pinkney said. Some are determined to win medals, some simply to do their best, some to socialize and have fun — or all of the above.
The atmosphere is both competitive and cooperative. Older athletes tend to be sociable, supportive and welcoming to newbies.
"The ones that compete help the ones who are new; it's pretty fun to watch, actually," Pinkney said. "They want everybody to do well, but they also want to win."