Last Updated on August 1, 2024
The stage is set for the most inspirational, motivational and life-changing event the world has to offer for adults aged 50 to over 100. The 2025 National Senior Games presented by Humana are now just one year away, where more than 11,000 athletes will travel to Des Moines, Iowa, to compete in more than 26 organized masters sporting competitions.
These athletes will smash stereotypes and show the world what can be accomplished as we age, with action in pickleball, beach volleyball, basketball, track & field, swimming and so much more. The event begins on July 24th, 2025.
Records will be broken, medals will be won, but more importantly, athletes in their 50s and beyond will provide a blueprint for healthy and active aging. As the world becomes more focused and fascinated with longevity, there may not be a greater source of inspiration than the National Senior Games to observe the benefits of physical exercise and social connection to help us all overcome the challenges and setbacks of aging.
While there are stories of bounce-backs and triumphs at every single event, here are a few of the biggest stories Growing Bolder is eager to watch unfold at the 2025 National Senior Games:
Representing their Region
One of the beautiful aspects of the National Senior Games is that the event travels to new host cities every two years. This not only provides masters athletes an opportunity to visit a new part of the country they may not have experienced before, but also shines the spotlight on a community of athletes who are representing their home state.
Leah Duerksen and her husband Jarol met playing table tennis 67 years ago. Their passion for the sport ignited a lifetime of love, as they have now been married for 65 years and never put down their paddles. Not only are they a competitive duo aiming to take home a medal in 2025, but they also actively work to create community through the game year-round. The Duerksen’s invite University of Iowa students and staff to their home to play once a week, and tell others it’s never too late to learn the sport.
Ann Hegstrom is a 2024 inductee to the Iowa Senior Games Hall of Fame. This Jamaica, Iowa, native has competed in the National Senior Games three times in track & field, power walk and race walk. Hegstrom, a former high school athlete who fell back in love with track in her 50’s, is a great model to show others it is never too late to get back into the games, and the resilience we all can maintain as we age. When she was in the midst of a battle with breast cancer, Hegstrom showcased her will and determination and competed in her first ever National Senior Games. Many in the masters sports community look forward to seeing her infectious smile, often-accompanied by signature pigtails.
The Gold Standard: Dominant Streak on the Hardwood
What constitutes a dynasty? How about winning five of the last six women’s basketball titles in your age group at the National Senior Games? Move over, Geno Auriemma and Dan Hurley, and make room for the “Connecticut Classics 2” amongst your state’s best basketball teams. The reigning champs in the 65-69 age group have been playing together since 2012 and have won gold in every state competition they’ve entered during that time. In fact, they’ve only lost two games in the past 12 years. They were recently honored with the Lee Franzman Team Recognition Award at the Connecticut Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Their squad will be back on the hardwood together at the 2025 National Senior Games in Des Moines.
Breaking Ground: New Competitions Added to the National Senior Games
The National Senior Games have evolved with every iteration of their event since beginning in 1987. The NSGA announced new competition updates for 2025, which include five new sports and four new events.
New sports include billiards (8-ball), disc golf, powerlifting, tai chi and beach volleyball, which was also featured at the 2022 Games in Fort Lauderdale.
New events include basketball skills, golf scramble, non-ambulatory pickleball, and a 1-mile road race.
New sports bring new stories and Growing Bolder is eager to see how these new sports and events impact the Games, especially when it comes to showing the world more ways we can all stay in shape, meet new people, and enjoy our lives as we age.
With these new opportunities, there are sure to be some athletes who stand out from the crowd with their abilities, like masters powerlifter Jeff Ellis, 65, a 2023 inductee into the Michigan Senior Olympics Hall of Fame.
Ellis holds two Michigan Senior Olympics records for powerlifting and won 19 medals in the 21 years he’s been competing. A colon cancer survivor, Ellis’ story is an example of resilience and determination that will surely inspire others.
Decades of Dedication Continue
George Freeman, 92, and Roy Englert, 101, are the only two athletes to participate in every National Senior Games competition since its inception in 1987. Both men hope to compete in Des Moines, which would extend their incredible record streak. In Pittsburgh in 2023 both men ran at the track, and Freeman competed in bowling as well. Their example continues to inspire much younger athletes who wish to live a long, active life, showing others that age is just a number.
Centenarian at the Center of Attention
Speaking of athletes over 100, Gerald Meyer, 105, is registered to compete in the 50M and 100M races at the Wyoming Senior Olympics, and is hoping to compete at the 2025 National Senior Games! While his attendance is not yet confirmed, if Meyer is able to make it to Des Moines, all eyes would be on his inspirational feats on the track at the age of 105.
Raising the Bar
No matter their skill level, every single National Senior Games athlete is raising the bar and showing people what can be achieved as we age. In fact, half of all NSG athletes report that they didn’t even start competing until they turned 50, showing how this is an event for all people of all abilities. But among the sea of inspiration, there will also be records broken and memorable milestones reached that make headlines for years to come.
At the 2023 National Senior Games, Pittsburgh native Jack Eckenrode, 95, became the oldest competitor ever to finish the 20k cycling event.
Hall of fame track stars like Kay Glynn and Damien Leake have set new records in pole vaulting and sprints.
One intriguing aspect of the Games in every event are the athletes who “age up” into a new competitive age group. Instead of being the oldest athlete among their competitive group, they suddenly become the youngest competitor in their age group and have a chance to do something special.
At the 2025 National Senior Games many eyes will be on Philipp Djang, a swimmer who is set to age up to the 70-74 age group for the first time. He has already set 21 NSG swimming records to this point, and has taken home more than 50 medals.
Standout States
The National Senior Games is the world’s largest multi-sport qualifying event, with more athletes involved than in the Olympics. It also affords the chance for seniors to represent their state and capture a feeling of hometown pride.
At the 2023 National Senior Games, Florida took home the most medals, with 576 total medals won by more than 600 athletes. Florida was followed by Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland and North Carolina to round out the top medal-winning states.
One big reason that Florida has found so much NSG success is thanks to the world’s largest 50+ active lifestyle community in the world: The Villages. Growing Bolder met and followed hundreds of athletes from The Villages to learn the secret to their success and how they inspire more people to craft a life around healthy choices.
The NSGA recognized that the sheer number of older athletes that live in certain states, like Florida, gave a big advantage to the total medal count, which led them to create the NSG Cup in 2022. The NSG Cup is awarded to the state that wins the most medals per athlete at the National Senior Games. This “levels the playing field” for states large and small to compete for recognition and bragging rights at the Games.
In its first two years of existence, the D.C. Senior Games have taken home the NSG Cup, most recently with 59 athletes earning a total of 56 medals in 2023.
Inspiration Beyond the Scoresheet
Of all the athletic feats that Growing Bolder has shared from the National Senior Games, we have found that the inspiration that goes beyond the scoresheet always resonates the most with viewers — the stories of ordinary people who are simply overcoming the challenges of life and finding a way to keep moving.
People like Dottie Gray, who broke her hip at 93, and was told by doctors she would never run again. Instead, one year after hip surgery, Dottie showed up to the 2019 National Senior Games where we watched her run the 100-meter dash.
Tien Nguyen grew up as a refugee from Vietnam. In his 50s he survived an emergency double-bypass surgery and returned to the 2022 National Senior Games to win a gold medal in volleyball.
But of all the stories we have told, none touched the hearts and minds of viewers quite like Julia Hawkins. At the age of 105, Hawkins set a world record to become the oldest person ever to compete in a sanctioned track and field event when she ran the 100-meter dash at the Louisiana State Senior Games. Growing Bolder’s video of Julia’s run was shared by global media outlets like CNN, ESPN, FOX, ABC and more, and garnered over 900 million video impressions.
Growing Bolder is eagerly preparing for the next great story of triumph and determination that will surely arise in Des Moines, Iowa, at the 2025 National Senior Games.
Click here to learn more about how you can register and compete in the games yourself.
To watch more Growing Bolder stories on NSG athletes, visit NSGA.com/Video and start watching for free.