Age of Champions

Every two years, more than 12,000 athletes from across the country compete in the National Senior Games.

Roger Gentilhomme is a 100 year-old tennis champion from Massachusetts. He’s fought through cancer, arthritis, hernias, hay fever, and a recent concussion on the court.

Adolph Hoffman is a cattle rancher, WW II veteran, and track and field athlete from Somerset, Texas. He hopes to break the world record in pole vaulting for the 85-89 age group. His top rival Earl Blassengame is looking to unseat him in the discus, shotput, and javelin.

The Tigerettes are 5-time women’s basketball gold medalists from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Off the court, they are charming Southern belles and caring grandmothers.

On the court, they transform into winner-take-all competitors who will dive, push, and elbow their way to another title.

Brad and John Tatum are African-American swimmers from Washington DC. As children, they learned to swim in the Potomac River because there were no integrated pools. They are finally getting their chance to shine as senior Olympians.

For these athletes, their participation in the Games is more than a sports story. It’s a metaphor for the struggles facing all senior citizens: illness, the death of loved ones and finding purpose in old age.