Strong and Vital No 3

The next US Senior Games will be held from 24 July to 4 August 2025 in Des Moines, Iowa, following the last event in 2023 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Conditions of participation for qualification: • Minimum age is 50 years; • Athletes must qualify at the State Senior Games in the even-numbered year, now 2024, for the following National Senior Games in the odd-numbered year (The Games are biennial); • In most sports, athletes qualify by placing in the top four of their age group in their state; • Participants must meet or exceed the MPS - Minimum Performance Standards - for their age group. Certain sports are open to all without qualification. S A F E, the Senior Athlete Fitness Exam

Julia, 103

The SAFE was developed by physical therapist Dr. Becca Jordre, who has tested almost 4’000 National Senior Games athletes over the past decade. After participa ting in the Senior Athlete Fitness Exam (SAFE), athletes receive a Report Card and guidance on how to improve their athletic performance and overall health. The goal is not a comparison to community - dwelling older adults. The SAFE comprises four different tests: • Cardiovascular performance • Muscle strength • Flexibility • Balance Olympic Games for Seniors In the early days of the Senior Games, the committee used the term «Olympic». However, the United States Olympic Committee then rejected this term. Later, the name had to be changed to «National Senior Games». Nevertheless, the NSGA was allowed to call its most important event «National Senior Games - The Senior Olympics» for around ten years. Today the time would be ripe to revive the idea of the Olympic Games for senior citizens at an official level. After all, the Paralympics already exist as part of the Olympic Games, which are accessible to athletes with a range of disabilities. Con sidering the obvious demand for sports competitions for the elderly and given the current longevity, it would be the right time to fill this gap. In this respect, Japan’s Hidekichi Miyazaki (1910-2019), the world’s oldest partici pant in official athletics events organised by the Japanese Athletics Federation, had a dream that remained unfulfilled: He wanted to see senior athletics become an Olympic discipline.

Allwyn, 79

Nancy, 72

Charlie, 70

STRONG and VITAL No. 3 - 2024

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