It's never too late to start for Senior Games athletes

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It's never too late to start for Senior Games athletes
Athletes unafraid to try new events
BY MEG WOCHNICK | The Olympian • Published July 26, 2008
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TUMWATER — When starting a new sport, age doesn’t factor in for Albert Erickson.


Despite being the youthful age of 79, Erickson, from Monroe, recently started competing in the decathlon. He never competed in track and field in high school. And up until now, he mainly played baseball, softball and a few running events here and there.

But on Saturday, during the Washington State Senior Games track and field events at Tumwater District Stadium, Erickson won the majority of the events in which he competed.

It’s only the second time that he’s participated in track and field events at the annual Senior Games.

“I did a few runs earlier than that,” Erickson said between events. “Mainly, I wanted to do multi-events here.”

Even though he’s new to the decathlon, it didn’t seem to hinder him at last year’s USATF national master’s decathlon/heptathlon championship, either. He placed first in his 75- to 79-year-old age group.

“This year, I’m going to concentrate on multi-events,” said Erickson, who competed in the pole vault, long jump, high jump, discus and javelin on Saturday. “I try to practice a little bit during the year, but when you’re doing multi-events, it’s difficult to find enough time to get good training in. It’s the challenge of doing it, but it’s also a way to stay fit.”

Whether it was track or the field events, more than 1,000 athletes age 50 or older were running, jumping and throwing with an extra spring in their step.

Some shared stories from their days of competing in high school or college, while others made some bold predictions to each other before races and events.

“If I don’t pull a hamstring in this, it’s a good day,” one 100-meter dash participant said to another while getting set in the starting blocks.

Henry James, 50, made the most of his trip up Interstate 5 on Saturday for his first Senior Games.

James, who’s from Bellingham, drove to Tumwater from Portland, where his daughter’s soccer team was playing in a tournament this weekend, solely to compete in the 400-meter dash.