2015 National Senior Games Portfolio

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All in this Together

Rochester, NY softball team finds strength in each other

By Matt Oleszczak | July 6th, 2015 Competition and fun. Thats what its all about, says Dick Huether, captain of the AO/Trovato softball team. This is the philosophy of his 60+ mens team from Rochester, New York. One need only look at the 16-man teams trophy case to appreciate their competitiveness. In each of the past three National Senior Games, a medal has gone home for AO/Trovato. This year, on the first day of bracket play, theyre confident there will be similar results.

We have a hell of a line-up,says Huether.

Of course, the group doesnt forget to have fun. The entire team has remained tight-knit since its inception in the early 2000s. These guys are the greatest people I know, says Dennis Warren, a founder of the team. Teammate Alan Klee adds that the team is unique in that everyone is from the Rochester area, contributing to their camaraderie. They all drove from New York to Minnesota and are staying in the same hotel. Their itinerary includes a team dinner together.

The camaraderie extends to their spouses as well. They join their husbands on these cross-country drives. [My wife and I] see so many places we probably wouldnt have gone to, says Klee. He mentioned Salt Lake City, a city he might never have seen but for softball.

On the opening day of pool play, AO/Trovato took on the City of Crossville 60s and came out ahead by a score of 14-10.

Better clear a spot in the trophy case.

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Running to Recover

By Matt Oleszczak | July 7th, 2015

Although she had no prior experience with running, Kathy Sueoka, at 55, got started six years ago and quickly progressed to winning national races. But it all came to a crashing halt in February 2012, when Sueoka, while training at the gym, felt sudden, sharp pain in her head. Her husband Ben, an interventional radiologist, quickly rushed her to the hospital for a CAT scan. When he saw the results, she vividly remembers him saying, Dont be scared, but theres a lot of blood in your head right now.

Sueoka had suffered a stroke. She became confined to her bed instead of the gym. Simply walking became difficult as symptoms affecting her muscles and coordination interfered. Ben wouldnt let her give up, and said he would drag her around the neighborhood to get her moving again. He explained how walking is vital for stroke recovery, helping to

retrain brain circuitry and with blood oxidation.

Patience and persistence has carried the day for Sueoka. After completing a 5K at the 2015 National Senior Games presented by Humana on Monday, she said, Its almost like the stroke didnt happen. Its surreal. Thinking back on her recovery process makes her appreciate how far shes come to participate in the biggest competitive race shes ever been in and has her muscles back.

The now 61-year-old runner from Beaumont, Texas keeps up her training with her husband, who also participated in the 5K road race at The Games. Ben finished at the 28:03 mark while Kathy came in at 29:08. I usually beat him, but he beat me today, she said.

While Kathy was amazed by the performance of her competitors, she serves as a source of inspiration as well. She said, This is something you have to try. Life is short, its getting shorter. Youve got to have challenges to keep you going.

Photo credit: Zachary A.M. Kelly Athlete: Kathleen Sueoka

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Arrows of a Feather Flock Together How archery unites family and strangers alike


Janet Lenius feared it was game over for her on Sunday at the 2015 National Senior Games presented by Humana.

I thought I was going to be out of the game, she recalls. Lenius, 55, from Minneapolis competes in the womens 50-54 bracket for compound release archery. Her progress in The Games was put at risk when her bow became unstrung. You cant use an unstrung bow.

It was a miracle that John had a bow press, she said, speaking of John Gaugers tool for replacing strings and cables. Gauger comes prepared: I keep a box of tools in case stuff happens.

Photo credit: Matt Oleszczak Athlete: Jeff Button

Gauger, 70, from The Villages, Florida was there to spot for a friend. Gauger himself is a finger style archer and will be competing starting today at St. Thomas Academy in Mendota Heights.

Sticking together has become a running theme of the sport. Cyndee Wilkinson, 54, of Saline, Michigan said, Its like a big family. She thinks of her competitor, Julie

Shaver, 53, of Rochester, New York as family of sorts, in addition to her husband, Don Wilkinson. Do competes in The Games and taught her how to play just two years ago. In the short span since, Cyndee has won eight championships and set a new state record.

Archery similarly runs in the Button family. Jeff Button, 52, of Cottage Grove, Wisconsin, first learned the sport when he was five years old. It was not surprising he would take it up, since his parents owned an archery business. And it helped that his mother held the title of state champion in the late 60s.

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The bow-and-arrow legacy continues with Buttons children, as they were also taught the sport at the ripe age of five. Admiring the ability of archery to cross generations, Jeff said, Its neat to see everyone from 5-year-olds to 70-, 80-, 90-year-olds at tournaments like this.

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One Family, One Sport


Photos by: Matt Oleszczak

Watching Patty Bradley play shuffleboard, one might not picture her as the caretaker type. Im very young for my age, she joked. But the 63-year-olds light-hearted teasing and goofy dancing on the court reveal only one side of her.

Patty acts as caregiver for her younger brother, Bobby Bradley, who has Downs Syndrome. When he said he wanted to be an Olympic athlete, Patty figured shuffleboard would be a good fit for the 54-year-old.

It turned out he was a natural. Hes phenomenal and way better than I am, said Patty. Bobby earned multiple gold medals in the Special Olympics and went on to qualify for the 2015 National Senior Games presented by Humana.

While the two siblings are usually partners back in Michigan, they are not competing together at this years National Senior Games. The Bradleys lost their aunt to cancer, leaving their uncle, Richard Salo, without his lifelong shuffleboard partner.

Not wanting to leave their uncle alone, Bobby made the decision to drop out as Pattys partner and let her play with Salo. We step in to support our family, Patty said.

After overcoming heart difficulties, Salo, 85, is expected to join his niece this Thursday to compete. His son, Bill Salo, and daughter-in-law, Donna Salo, will also be joining him in the competition.

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Extra Innings for All

Softballers get themselves and others back in the game By Matt Oleszczak | July 10th, 2015

Some 30 years after giving up baseball, Bill Altman started a senior softball league in San Antonio, Texas. Now, that league itself is approaching the 30 year mark. With 34 teams and the largest membership of any senior softball league in the nation, its an accomplishment Altman can be proud of.

I didnt know anything about slow-pitch until 87, Altman said. Then I heard the [Texas] Senior Games were coming to San Antonio. And I thought, why dont we form a team? Since the leagues inception, hes taken part in five national tournaments. His team hasnt won one yet, but their younger counterparts in the league have shown promise. They go to these tournaments and theyre winnerswinning big tournaments. The 60+ and 65+ team have won national ones. Altmans influence and inspiration to so many earned him recognition as an NSGA Personal Best athlete in 2013.

The San Antonio Seniors Softball League (SASSL) has even inspired the formation of other leagues. These leagues joined to help form the Alamo City Travelers team for the 2015 National Senior Games presented by Humana. Joining Altman on this team is his Ken Weber, of Kerrville, Texas.

Weber helped start a new league when he and four others grew tired of all the traveling involved in the SASSL. Speaking about how to start a league, Weber said, Somebody has to take a hold of the group, you have to publicize in the community, and start recruiting at senior centers, health clubs, churches. Altman added, If you got an organizer willing to put the time in, if there are enough players, you can do it.

Photo by: Matt Oleszczak

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Weber said, Just get the word out. First year we had three teams, second we had four, last two years weve had five teams in a town of 23,000 people. Thats pretty good, but we ought to have eight teams. Thats our goal.

Altman and Weber agree, age shouldnt have to be a barrier. A lot of seniors have played ball before. And for one reason or another they just quit years ago. You got to get them back into the sport, said Altman.

Weber noted that some seniors have knee injuries or similar issues. But noted there are courtesy runners who can help them with the base-running and that if you can get them to the field, youve got 90% of the battle won. Its just getting them out there.

Thursday morning, the Alamo City Travelers lost their first game of the day, 2-7. Weber just has to remember his own advice, Dont ever get discouraged. Sometimes you feel like, lets just chuck this. Youve got to keep after it. Because every time theres a down, theres a big up that comes after.

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Mind Over Matter

Racquetball player rallies back lifes killshots By Matt Oleszczak | July 11th, 2015

Racquetball player Sharon Huczeks fiery determination to succeed kept her going through a maze of medical events. From April of 2012 through December of 2013 she has undergone six major surgeries, including rotator cuff surgery and a partial knee replacement that threatened her playing career.

Just as she was coming back from her knee injury, there was more misfortune. Huczek, who lives in Warren, Michigan, wiped out on winter ice and crushed her wrist in the fall. At the hospital they said it was the worst thing theyd ever seen, Huczek recalls.

The outlook was grim. Doctors told her not to get her hopes up. Huczek said, Even my therapist, who was there through my knee and arm injuries, said Sharon, I cant give you much hope on this. Im going to do my best, but I hope you dont have high expectations of getting on the court again.

Huczek, 67, had played racquetball since the age of 25 and performed well, picking up gold medals from the US Open Racquetball Championships and National Masters Racquetball Association (NMRA). She was inducted in the Racquetball Association of Michigans (RAM) Hall of Fame in 2010 and served on their board for nearly 30 years. Giving up racquetball would be a very bitter pill to swallow.

So was her therapist wrong? How is it that shes now competing in Minnesota? Huczek says she regained the ability to compete by drawing on her psychological and religious resources. When she hit a particular rough patch, she recalls a phone conversation with a woman from her YMCA who told her, Sharon. The longer you stay away, the harder it is to come back. Huczek had no time to slow down and believed to get rehabilitated,


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movement is key. She pushed herself to the limit with the encouragement of others. .No pain, no gain is not just a cliche to Huczek, it is her way to live life.

In addition to maintaining the belief that youre going to get better, Huczek credited the healing as a gift from God. God has blessed me with the ability to persevere, always striving to do my best. Its a real blessing to be able to be back.

Impressive as her comeback is, Huczek is even more proud of her son, Jack who she started in racquetball when he was only two years old. He told me at three hes going to become the best player in the world. And I said, Yes, you will, son. He went on to be the greatest junior in racquetball history. Jack won consecutive world titles from the age of eight until age 18, and was the youngest ever to win a professional tournament.

The key to becoming successful like Huczeks son? You learn from the seniors. He would take their knowledge, even if they werent the best, she says. People would ask him who his coach is. Hed say, I cant name just one person. All of these people were instrumental to my success. It really does take a village to raise an athlete.

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An Unusual Eye for Bowling By Matt Oleszczak | July 12th, 2015

Who do you normally associate with precision? Jewelers? Tailors? Surgeons?

How about an 88-year-old bowlerand shes 90 percent blind?

Mary Northrup from The Villages, Florida, plays with the best despite her visual impairment. She rolled into the 2015 National Senior Games presented by Humana with a 2011 gold medal in Houston and a gold and silver from Cleveland in 2013.

Northrup doesnt need much help to earn her strikes. She can still barely make out the lanes and where the pins are, and muscle memory does the rest. When its her turn, she calls on fine-tuned habits developed over many years. Ball in hand, she takes a step up on the alley. She pulls the ball up, bends her knees, and brings the ball forward with the finesse of someone a third of her age. Im healthy other than my eyes. And Im pretty limber for my age, said Northrup.

The only time where she needs the help of others is after throwing the first ball of a frame. She cant see exactly which pins are still standing. On Saturday, she got an assist from Virginian Frances Coltrane. Every pin has a number, and Coltrane would shout out the pin number to help Northrup figure out her strategy. Their rapport was so smooth it seemed like they were long-time friends, but it turned out theyd never met before this week. Coltrane felt it was a no-brainer to help. I would hope somebody would do it for me. Because its a shame to stop participating just because you cant see like you used to, she said.

Northrup, who had bowled since her teenage years, began experiencing macular degeneration back in 1997. It progressed slowly. She stopped driving only about five years ago and can still use a golf cart in her Florida senior community. Northrup isnt


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sure whether shell be able to handle the next National Senior Games, but leaves it open as a possibility. You do the best with what you have, she said.

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True Facts


Heres a quiz for you: James Ed True, of OFallon, Illinois, is: a) a shuffleboard player; b) a university instructor; c) an Air Force pilot, or d) a founding father of basketball in Ireland.

The True answer? E) all of the above!

While were at it, heres one more distinction to add to that list - True is one of only eight remaining athletes who have competed in every National Senior Games since they began in 1987.

You might think 83-year-old Ed True has just moved randomly jumped from one position to another, becoming accomplished each time. No, theres been a plan all the way, all the way to the shuffleboard event at the 2015 National Senior Games presented by Humana.

Ed True was an Air Force pilot, serving in the Vietnam War test program for mini-guns and C-47 aircraft. He was in Europe for 11 years and in the Far East for two years.

While living in Ireland in the 50s, True became a self-appointed ambassador for basketball. I started basketball in Ireland through the U.S. State Department. I was a player initially and then I coached teams. My team actually won the European conference three times.

Basketball Irish style contributed to Trues love affair with Europe. Even after his Air Force service ended, he continued to travel frequently. In the 80s, he combined this international passion with his love for youth work and began dedicating time to the Rotary Youth Exchange, a study-abroad program for teenagers. He continues to be involved in the program, consulting on travel to Australia, the Philippines, and other South Pacific/Asian countries.

Back in the States, True worked for federal banks and started several businesses. In 1991, after raising the necessary funds, he founded an indoor sports complex in OFallon. It is believed to be the first facility in the U.S. built for indoor softball. True and the complex were featured in Sports Illustrated.

Photo By: Zachary Kelly

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Around the turn of this century,True began teaching business classes part-time at several universities,including St. Louis Community College and Southern Illinois University, which he continues to the present day.

So how did all this lead True to the 2015 National Senior Games presented by Humana? In fact, hes been here the whole time. He served on one of the initial committees that organized the first Games in 1987, and he has competed in every National Senior Games as an athlete. He began with track & field 50M and 200M and has taken up several sports since. True recently tried his hand at pickleball, and chose to play doubles shuffleboard in Minnesota.

His partner is Alice Carroll, 83, of Syracuse, New York. They met at a previous Senior Games when they were both in need of a partner. It proved to be a winning combination, as they earned gold after limited practice together. Were very good friends, even though we only see each other once every two years, said Carroll.

Given his record of accomplishment in diverse fields, whats True most proud of? Being in the Illinois State Senior Hall of Fame for community service. [That was for] being involved on school boards for 25 years, community council for 19 years, and being quite involved with my chamber of commerce.

Its amazing Ed True could pick just one thing.

Photo By: Matt Oleszczak

Documents

2015 National Senior Games Portfolio