November 5, 2003
Seniors go for the gold at Huntsman
Three area couples take home medals at World Senior Games
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
No slouches in the athletic department, three area couples from Traverse City and one man from Elk Rapids recently returned from the Huntsman World Senior Games with a bevy of medals.
Twenty of them, to be exact.
Ranging in age from 64 to 79, these senior athletes biked, ran, swam and competed in triathlons against athletes from around the world. Held in St. George, Utah in October, the games have drawn seniors from around the world for the past 17 years.
"Seniors are more active these days," said Dick Graves of Traverse City, who attended the competition with his wife, Sylvia. "There was one man, 96 years old, who was on a triathlon team and he did the cycling, that was inspiring."
"Or you go to the track and see a 67-year-old guy pole vaulting," he noted.
Gary and Carla Lee attended their first World Senior Competition and are determined to go back next year. Having competed in the local senior games for eight years, they thoroughly enjoyed the competition and camaraderie of the world event.
Gary Lee competed in an event each day during the week they were there, winding up his week with a triathlon. He also competed in a hill climb, a 5K run, a bike time trial and a table tennis tournament in which he admits to a thorough whipping.
"They have every sport you can think of there, from bridge, bowling and team sports like softball," he said of the two-week event. "The biggest challenge for me was doing something every day, I had to keep up my edge."
The couple swim together at the Grand Traverse County Easling Pool multiple times a week and also snowshoe and cross country ski during the winter. Keeping fit as a senior is a priority for them and they enjoyed being surrounded by like-minded seniors at the event.
"That was one of the things that was so inspiring, the number of seniors participating in sports," Carla Lee said.
Any athlete who wants to may participating in the Huntsman World Senior Games, it is not an invitation-only event. This means the level of competition is brisk but not fierce.
"You do have a lot of fun, but it is competitive at the same time," Graves noted. "Everybody is supporting everybody else and sometimes the person finishing the event last will get more applause than the person who came in first."
Ed and Annette Hardy are celebrating their 20th year of running together this year. Taking up the sport after their children were grown and married, they have attended the senior world games for two years.
This year, both competed in a variety of events and brought home 11 medals between them. But the fun outstrips the winning in their minds.
"It really is just so much fun, and there's so many nice people that you meet and you just have a real good time," said Annette Hardy, who along with her husband runs 20 to 25 miles a week.
Below are the race results and each competitor's age:
- Sylvia Graves, 66: gold medal in cycling public A time trial and road race.
- Dick Graves, 74: fourth in triathlon
- Annette Hardy, 71: bronze in 10K run, silver in 5K run, gold in 3,000 -meter run, silver in 800- and 400-meter run and bronze in 1,500-meter run.
- Ed Hardy, 70: gold in cycling public B time trial and triathlon, silver in 10K run, half marathon and 3,000-meter run.
- Carla Lee, 64: gold in the novice cycling time trial and silver in cycling road race.
- Gary Lee, 66: gold in novice hill climb, time trial and road race, bronze in triathlon.
- Don Fedrigon, Sr., 79: bronze in cycling public A road race.