Sun Lakes resident, Kim Soule, competing in the cycling time trials.
The National Senior Games took place in Albuquerque, NM, this past June 14-25, marking the 32nd year in the history of the games. This year’s event was epic, with numerous records being shattered. Nearly 14,000 senior athletes were in attendance – an all-time high participation record.
Along with that record, Sun Lakes’ own Kim Soule, competing in the cycling time trials, set a new all-time women’s 5K time trial record. Her time in the 65-69 age group was 6 minutes and 22 seconds, or 29.3 miles per hour. Not just an age category record, Kim’s time sets the all-time mark for any woman 50 years and older. She won the gold medal in the 5K and the silver medal in the 10K for Arizona. Overall, Arizona finished seventh in the medal count, with 249 medals for 1st, 2nd or 3rd place.
The National Senior Games holds competitions in 20 different sports categories. The Olympic-style event is the largest multisport event in the world for older adults. The Games are held every other year, with the next national competition in 2021 in Fort Lauderdale, FL.
“There were amazing athletes and examples of healthy living at every level of the games! The importance of active aging as a lifelong journey was thoroughly reinforced. Challenging the biases about aging that still persist in our society is as important as ever!”
To learn more about the games, visit the National Senior Games Association at https://nsga.com/.