Seniors compete for medals in Golden Games
Nursing home residents vie mentally, physically
By Dann Denny, Herald-Times Staff Writer
October 1, 2004
Ola B. Jones' body may be giving out, but her spirit is doing just fine.
The silver-haired, 87-year-old woman was all smiles as she sat in her wheelchair and flipped Styrofoam rings onto wooden dowels from a distance of 5 feet.
"I'm going for the gold," said Jones with a wry grin. "I've got a lot of gold medals hanging on my bedpost, but I hope I can get some more."
Today, Jones' bedpost at the Meadowood Retirement Community may be straining to stay upright.
During her two hours of competition in the Golden Games Thursday at the SportsPlex, she won a bucketful of medals — in everything from the ring toss to Bible knowledge.
Jones, who suffered a stroke four years ago, said her daughter and two granddaughters helped her hone her skills in three competitions — Bible knowledge, spelling and international knowledge.
"But I didn't get to practice the ring toss," she said. "I had a chance yesterday, but I decided to play euchre instead."
Jones is just one of the 75 residents from five area nursing homes who competed in the second annual event — an adapted version of the Monroe/Owen county Senior Games organized by activity directors from nursing homes.
John Frye, a 75-year-old stroke survivor, was more subdued than Jones following his bowling competition — in which he used two throws of a rubber bowling ball to knock down all six plastic bowling pins 10 feet away.
"It's hard to use my arms, but I'd like to win some medals," he said. "I won eight last year."
And how did he feel his chances were to strike gold again this year?
"Hard tellin'," he said. "I guess I'll have to wait and see."
At the bean bag toss, 94-year-old Rhoda Sink admitted being a bit nervous as she prepared to launch five bean bags into a plastic carton 5 feet away.
"I'm not so sure about this," she said.
But after missing her first two tosses, both of which landed inches short of the target, she made two of the next three.
"Wow!," she said. "That's the best I can do. That's as far as my arm will go."
Before the Games began, 96-year-old Hubert Cowden and 101-year-old Aline Wampler were crowned king and queen of the Golden Games.
Then Wilbert Williams told the participants — seated around tables set up the SportsPlex gym — about the 3 1/2-pound Olympic torch he carried in 1996. He was one of the hundreds of people selected to help transport the torch across the entire country.
"They told me to run a half mile carrying the torch in my right hand and waving with my left — and to look happy while doing it," he said. "The easiest part was smiling, because my arms got awfully tired."
Williams said the moment he passed the torch off to the next runner, he was swarmed by fans.
"Several children wanted my autograph, and one asked if someone could take a photo of him and me together," he said.
Just then, an older woman sitting at one of the back tables yelled, "I saw you run with the torch in '96, and I want your autograph right now."
Reporter Dann Denny can be reached at 331-4350 or by e-mail at ddenny@heraldt.com |
 Dolores Rose, 85, enjoys listening to Sophia Travis play the accordion at the Golden Games Thursday afternoon at the SportsPlex. Rose was on the Bell Trace Health and Living Center's team competing in games such as bowling, basketball and trivia. The sombrero reflected her team's tropical theme for the games. Staff photo by Chris Howell.
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