Never too old to go for the gold

Several times, I have written articles regarding the merits of exercise for seniors - seniors, in this case, being those of you who are over 50.

When you reach 50, there is another use for your exercise program- competition. A whole lot of older folks are trying for the gold. And they do it in the Senior Olympics.

One of the "older" competitors, John Steinman, is in my morning fitness class, and is training for the Northern Nevada Senior Games being held in Douglas County on Sept. 9-16.

John is 70 years young, 5 foot, 11 inches and weighs in at 180 pounds. He has been in my fitness classes for 15 years and has been competing in the Senior Olympics for 12 years.

John not only works on muscle areas that will be used in competition, he maintains a well-rounded fitness workout for all areas of the body to prevent injury and enhance his performance. He competes in pole vault, high jump, shot put and discus. So he works on all the major muscle groups.

John travels around the U.S. and hits most of the Senior Games events in track and field. Right now, he has several hundred medals to his credit, and a lot of those medals are gold. I have displayed them on my fitness room wall, and they have been displayed at the Carson City Library.

John isn't alone in his quest for the gold. There are many athletes in and around this area that are signing up for the Senior Games. If you wish to compete in the Northern Nevada Senior Games, the deadline to sign up is Friday.

The categories for the games are weightlifting, track and field, golf, bowling, eight ball, pistol shoot and swimming.

Try competing just for fun; you're never too old for fun. If you need more information or a registration packet, call Linda Kyriakopoulos at the Douglas County Senior Center, (775) 783-6455. You can register at the center, or she will mail you a form.

Don't tell me you're too old for competition. I look around at the people over 50 who are in my exercise classes, and they are in excellent health, extremely fit and capable of winning a gold medal.

Competition is a new and exciting way to look at getting older. Give the Northern Nevada Senior Games a try - who knows, like John Steinman, you may end up with your own wall of gold.

• Jerry Vance is owner of The Sweat Shop/Wet Sweat. She offers classes through Carson City Recreation and Aquatics Center and is a fitness instructor for the Senior Center.