The Northern Virginia Senior Olympics is celebrating its 35th year of hosting competitions with over 50 different events ranging from dominoes to three-on-three basketball tournaments. Attending any event is free. Take a look at some of the events and meet those who are competing. (Click event sidebars to enlarge.)
Meet some of the participants
Debbi Miller
Age group: 65-69
Lives in: Fairfax
Events: Track, Sudoku, Spelling Bee
“It motivates me to keep working on physical fitness, which for seniors is crucial to aging positively.”
Phil Case
Age group: 85-89
Lives in: Springfield
Events: Swimming, Tennis
“It’s something that a friend of mine was doing in basketball back in the early ’90s. He had been successful in it, and I said it might be something worthwhile doing. It’ll be fun and would almost force me to tend to keep in shape.”
Phil holds the record for the most medals in the history of the NVSO. Between the state and national games, he’s received either a medal or ribbon a staggering 217 times.
Don Meli
Age group: 70-74
Lives in: Annandale
Events: Track, Field, Swimming, Softball Hit & Throw
“We have a lot of the same people coming back year after year. It’s nice to compete and see some of these people. You don’t see them during the year, but you see them every time they have the competitions.”
Larry Hyer
Age group: 80-84
Lives in: Arlington
Events: Pickleball, Tennis
“Some of the events are kind of laid-back, and others are competitive. I suspect most of them are pretty competitive. People want to win, but they’re still gracious.”
