Ohio Department of Aging
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October 2006
Rainey Rohrmeirer, from Harrison, competed in her first Ohio Senior Games this year. Not yet a senior by state and barely by AARP standards, Rainey, 51, is proud to be headed to the National Senior Games next year.
The only woman in the pole vault in this year's games, Rainey has set her sights on breaking the current record of 10 feet 8 inches. Having vaulted 5 feet, she has a way to go, but that was only after three days of practice.
"The games have given me the opportunity to do something different… and fun, of course," she said. "It is a whole new world of activity. I have run marathons and it got hard on my knees. This is my next thing."
Rainey encourages her family and friends to participate in the games. In fact, her mother competes alongside her in the basketball free throw and spot shot competition. Her father is her golf partner in Cincinnati games.
Rainey and her parents, both 76, are just a sampling of the 1,039 older athletes from all over Ohio who traveled to Youngstown to compete in the 2006 Ohio Senior Games.
Since 1979, the Ohio Senior Games have promoted healthy lifestyles and physical activity for older residents through top quality athletic competition. Each year, regional Senior Olympics competitions are held in eight major Ohio cities. These events are hosted by universities, parks and recreation departments, municipalities, social service agencies and private companies, with a mission of promoting healthy lifestyles for older adults. While it is not required that athletes participate in regional games to qualify for the state games, many, such as Rainey, do.
Athletes at the state games competed in events including archery, badminton, basketball, bowling, cycling, golf, horseshoes, running, racquetball, shuffleboard, softball, swimming, tennis, track and field, triathlon and volleyball. While many of these athletes have been competitors throughout their lives, some did not begin competing until they retired.
Athletes at the 2006 Ohio Senior Games qualified for the June 2007 Senior Olympics, to be held in Louisville, Kentucky. The National Games is the largest multi-sport event in the world for active adults age 50 and older. As many as 700 competitors from the Ohio games and more than 11,000 senior athletes from around the country will compete in 18 sports and more than 800 events. The National Senior Games are held every two years and Ohio consistently sends one of the largest delegations of competitors to this event.
For more information about the Ohio Senior Games, visit . To learn more about the 2007 National Senior Games, visit www.2007seniorgames.com.
Of course we don't have to be Olympians to benefit from physical activity. Regular exercise benefits folks of any age. According to the American Council on Exercise, research shows those of us over 60 who stay physically active can:
As many senior Olympians will tell you, remaining active, no matter how old you are or how intense your workout is, can bring health, fulfillment and, perhaps, a little achievement into your life.
Ohio Department of Aging