Having just won a handful of medals – “almost all gold, only one silver,” she said – during the past three weeks, the Bloomington resident was the recipient of a few of the 430 medals given out during the 29th Annual Senior Games.
“I played some softball in school, but I never played nothing else,” she said. “That was about it. But now I’ve played ever since about 2000.”
The games, which are organized by the Area 10 Agency on Aging, are designed to give Monroe and Owen County’s seniors the opportunity to compete in a friendly environment.
The three-week event kicked off Sept. 3 and ended with closing ceremonies Monday morning.
The event serves as the primary fundraiser for Area 10’s Endwright Center, which provides health and fitness programs for seniors.
“One of the really great things about the Endwright Center is that we offer all sorts of free and very affordable low-cost programming,” Endwright Center Director Jaime Sweany said. “Through grants and fundraising efforts, I can pay good prices to teachers and instructors.”
Sweany said the Senior Games account for a majority of the center’s annual budget.
“I’d say it’s probably a pretty big chunk,” she said. “It’s a pretty important part of our budget. It is probably the major fundraiser for the Endwright Center that we do.”
All area residents ages 50 and older were invited to participate in any of the games’ 33 events. While attendance this year was lower than projected, Sweany said she was pleased with the turnout.
Aside from its fundraising aspect, the games’ major benefit is its ability to keep the area’s senior citizens active and in good health.
Shelton said while she does her best to stay active, the senior games provide her the best opportunity each year to stay active.
While she shied away from athletic competition in the past, she has participated in the past 14 iterations of the games.
“I enjoy going, and I enjoy playing, meeting the people,” Shelton said. “I have some good friends I get to see. And it gives me a chance to get out of the house and exercise a little bit.”
For Sweany, the games have acted as one of the Endwright Center’s most effective tools to promote fitness and long-lasting health benefits.
“Really the whole point of this is not to be seriously competitive but to have a good time and to stay active,” Sweany said.
“A lot of seniors come up to me and say, ‘This is what keeps me alive,’ exercising and staying active. We have all sorts of different activities every day ... so whatever they choose to keep them active really prolongs life.”
