‘Movement is medicine’

By Mary-Justine Lanyon

 

The National Veterans Golden Age Games began in 1985 with a goal of underscoring the therapeutic value of sports medicine for older veterans who receive healthcare at Veterans Administration facilities.

The mission was clear: Encourage physical activity through competitive sports. The outcome? Better health and wellness.

Thirty-nine years later, the Golden Age Games were bigger and better than ever, with 1,014 athletes from 48 states and the District of Columbia participating. The Games are, according to their website, “the only multi-sport competition in the world designed to improve the quality of life for all older veterans, including those with a wide range of abilities.” That range includes those who are ambulatory as well as those in wheelchairs and those who are visually impaired.

The Games are held in a different city each year, giving the veterans the opportunity to reunite with their brothers and sisters, just as they did in their military service.

This year’s Games were held in Memphis, Tenn., from May 31 through June 6. As veterans arrived at the Memphis airport from around the country, they were welcomed by representatives of the local VA hospital. Buses transported them to the Renasant Convention Center and took their luggage to their hotels.

The athletes checked in at the convention center, where they got the bibs they would wear in their competitions.

Competition began on Saturday, May 31 with billiards, boccia, cornhole and shuffleboard in various age brackets. Throughout the day the athletes visited with the exhibitors at the Health and Wellness expo.

That evening, the athletes gathered for the opening ceremony, hosted by Doc Holliday, who was a running back with the St. Louis Rams and is currently the sports director of a local television station.

DJ Jesse – visiting from Los Angeles – got the crowd going with the upbeat music he played. Many of the athletes and their guests could be seen dancing at their seats.

The parade of athletes drew cheers from each state’s representatives.

“You are warriors, competitors and survivors,” Brittany Hook, the national director of the Games told the athletes. She announced that these 39^th Games were the largest ever.

“Let’s glow!” she urged the athletes.

With that, Joseph Vaughn, the executive director of the Lt. Col. Luke Weathers Jr. VA Medical Center in Memphis, lit the torch.

“In the words of B.B. King,” Vaughn said, “let the good times roll!”

Each event began with the singing of the national anthem. Prior to the events on Sunday, June 1, the young girl singing forgot the words. Not to worry – everyone in attendance started singing and sang along with her for the rest of the anthem.

Medals were awarded for first, second and third place in each event. Athletes brought their medals to the Athletes Village to have them engraved. First to bring her medal there was Millie Hopper, who took gold in the 85 to 89-age bracket in shuffleboard singles.

As a volunteer, this reporter worked in the Athletes Village and at boccia, where I learned how to score the game and picked up the balls for the athletes. Each one thanked the volunteers as the game progressed.

I had also volunteered at the Health and Wellness expo, where I guided a visually impaired athlete to pick up his backpack and then guided him to the second floor where that day’s competitions were taking place.

The closing ceremony took place at the AutoZone stadium, home of the Memphis Redbirds, a farm team for the St. Louis Cardinals. Holliday once again hosted the ceremony.

Hook shared some statistics:

• The record-breaking Games had 1,014 athletes participate.
• The most women veterans ever – 299 – participated.
• There were 346 novices, participating in their first Games and showing their commitment to Fitness for Life, the Games’ motto.
• The most popular sport was cornhole with 418 participants, followed by boccia with 401 and bowling with 383.
• The biggest group of athletes was in the 65 to 69-age bracket. Veterans can begin competing at 55.
• The oldest athlete was 95-year-old Thomas Gillis of Alabama – a first-time participant.

James Leahy, the current executive director of the Veterans Canteen Service, the host of the Games, congratulated the athletes on their participation and their commitment to fitness.

“Movement is medicine,” he told them.

 

The mountain’s medalists

Two of the participating athletes are from the mountain – Michael Shanahan of Crestline and Armand LeSage of Lake Arrowhead.

These were the first games for Shanahan, who swam in the 25 and 50-yard freestyle and the 25 and 50-yard backstroke. It was in bowling and golf that the visually impaired athlete won his gold medals.

He explained that a “golf buddy” helps the visually impaired golfers, setting up their shots for them.

The former Navy corpsman called the Games “wonderful.”

LeSage had participated in four Games prior to Memphis in Anchorage, Alaska; Sioux Falls, S.D.; Des Moines, Iowa; and Salt Lake City, Utah.

His sports were cornhole, boccia, bowling, horseshoes and golf, where he won a bronze medal in his age bracket.

The Vietnam Army veteran said that these Games “give me the welcome home I never had.”