Never too old to compete
In my forthcoming novel More to Life, to be published by LBP in November, my protagonist, retired school teacher Colette, goes kicking and screaming into a retirement facility. There she discovers she has more living to do, making good friends and experiencing stimulating adventures. One resident she meets is 105-year-old Coral, who still competes in cycling time trials. I draw inspiration from my characters, or is it that they gain it from me? This August, I competed in my first National Senior Games, held in Des Moines, Iowa.
I began entering running events and triathlons at the age of forty, and now at the age of 72, with twenty marathons under my belt, I’m cutting back the length of my events to half marathons and shorter. I’m not a talented athlete, but the thrill of crossing a finish line never gets old. I have always wanted to participate in a national event, and Des Moines seemed the perfect place since much of my husband’s extended family lives there, and our niece was willing to host us. It took a lot of effort just to toe the starting line: training, qualifying, traveling, and the courage to put myself out there. I’m lucky that my hometown Visalia, California, hosts annual Senior Games, but in order to qualify for Nationals, I had to travel to Pasadena for a California state meet, where I placed in the 400, 800, and 1500-meter events.
The track and field events of the 2025 Des Moines National Senior Games were held in nearby Ames, in the beautiful Cyclone Sports Complex at Iowa State University. First off, I watched the men’s, age 95-99, 50-meter sprint, and these guys didn’t just hobble and shuffle: they ran! My greatest stress in racing is getting to the right place at the right time. My heart was already pumping hard before the start gun sounded. When my name was announced, I was delighted to see it and the California state flag up on the marquee. While racing, I concentrated most on pacing, hoping not to run out of gas before the finish. With my husband, daughter, grandkids, and extended family cheering me on, I ended up somewhat in the middle of the pack in each of my events. It was no surprise to me that faster and slower women runners in my age group came from all over the country. I didn’t encounter any cutthroat competition at the NSG, but rather a jovial camaraderie. We aging athletes are all in this together, encouraging each other to keep moving, knowing there is more to life than just sitting around.