Sports
Arizona Athlete, 73, Competes In Track At National Senior Games
The Phoenix resident is honored as a Humana Game Changer for inspiring others with his passion for staying active.
The National Senior Games, presented by Humana, is the largest multi-sport event in the world for people aged 50+. Ever since the first Games in 1987 in St. Louis, the National Senior Games has sought to motivate adults to lead active, healthy lifestyles.
The 2023 National Senior Games, held in Pittsburgh, included nearly 12,000 athletes from across the country competing in 21 unique sports.
Since 2013, Humana has recognized outstanding athletes – those who exemplify active aging and provide encouragement, motivation, and inspiration for people of all ages to pursue lifelong health – as Humana Game Changers.
Today, Patch is shining a spotlight on Gary Yeager, 73, from Phoenix, Arizona who competed in track at the National Senior Games. Not only does he love competing in track, but he is also passionate about inspiring and motivating others to be active no matter their age.
Below, Gary talks about competing in the 2023 National Senior Games and shares advice for other seniors looking to stay active.
Answers have been edited for clarity and length.
How long have you been participating in this sport and how did you get started?
I have been in athletics all my life, playing many different sports growing up and competing in baseball in college. I graduated with a degree in Physical Education and coached high school football and baseball. Then, I left coaching for the corporate world for about 40 years.
10 years ago, I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, a debilitating disease that required me to take a medication that caused adverse reactions, high blood pressure and near obesity. While overcoming the medication adversity, my wife of 37 years passed away and added depression and grief to my challenges. I joined a gym and worked with a trainer to overcome the emotional and physical pain and reinvented myself. I rid myself of all the medications, lowered my blood pressure and lost 75 pounds. On my 69th birthday, I entered my first 5k and won my age group. I have been racing ever since. Fast forward about a year from then, I played in my first Adult Baseball World Series game. In 2020, I married my greatest fan and cheerleader.
Can you describe any challenges, health or otherwise, that you had to overcome in order to compete in the National Senior Games?
Beyond my battle with a debilitating disease, I also faced other health challenges. After qualifying for the Games, I injured my knee playing baseball, which required surgery and physical therapy over a 4-month period. I have been training for about a year to rehabilitate my knee and reclaim the conditioning I lost. There were also several respiratory ailments along the way that hindered my conditioning, but I worked through it all to compete in the 2023 Games.
You were one of 28 athletes selected from the thousands competing at the 2023 National Senior Games for the national honor of being named a Humana Game Changer. Can you tell us more about this honor and what it means to you?
This being my first year at the Games, I wasn’t aware of the award at first. After competing and meeting so many people there, I realize that just about everyone there has gone through some type of challenge over the years and even today. Telling my story from where I was to where I am now health-wise is very humbling, and to be recognized as overcoming my own health adversities to live a healthy and athletic lifestyle as a senior adult was just as humbling.
Why is living a healthy, active lifestyle important to you?
I once heard someone say: “Around age 55 or 60 the warranty on your body expires and you become totally and unequivocally responsible for its maintenance, upkeep and appearance,” and that has become my philosophy on aging. To paraphrase Jimmy Buffett, some will treat their bodies like a temple while others treat it like a tent. I prefer the temple and all the benefits that are received.
What advice do you have for people wanting to be more active who feel like they don’t know where to start?
First, go to your primary care physician or treating doctor and know exactly what you can SAFELY do as exercise or activity, and then start slowly. Next, before increasing your activity level, STRETCH every muscle you can every day. Be sure to have GOOD SHOES and equipment for needed support not only on your feet, but for all the lower extremities. Also, realize that there will be a bit of soreness in the beginning that will dissipate as time goes on. There are apps and resources on the internet that will construct plans for almost any condition or level of activity. Even if it’s just sweeping the driveway, ACTIVITY IS ACTIVITY!!
Please tell us about your experience competing in the 2023 National Senior Games. What was the best part?
This was my first Senior Games and it was an awe-inspiring experience. To see what I consider “World Class Senior Athletes” from all over the country in competition is somewhat mind-blowing. The times turned in by those athletes in the field and in my particular age group left me as a true believer that what I am doing is right. I first competed in a local one-mile race a few hours after I got off the plane from Phoenix and took third place in the age group. A few days later, I was in the Senior Games with 340 runners racing 5k, 3.1 miles, over a very hilly terrain trying to achieve a personal best. My time was not good enough to place, but it was a challenge I met and conquered respectably. The uphill and downhill was strange to me, but I finished in under 40 minutes. I beat the mountain personally. I enjoyed talking to the other athletes and exchanging training tips, stories, and strategies. To see their winning times at the finish was UNBELIEVABLE!!! I left inspired and motivated to return in 2 years.
Congratulations, Gary, on your athletic achievements and helping motivate other seniors to lead healthy active lifestyles!
More about Humana: Since 2007, Humana has sponsored the National Senior Games and celebrated senior athletes with the NSGA. Specifically, Humana supports the National Senior Games’ mission to keep active adults healthy through education, fitness and sport.
