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Senior citizens can be Olympians, too! Sign up for the Kern games
| Wednesday, Aug 13 2008 2:00 AM
Last Updated: Tuesday, Aug 12 2008 2:38 PM
Forget Beijing! Preparations and sign-ups for the second annual Senior Olympics of Kern County are under way.
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The games, which are expected to draw more than 800 local and out-of-county participants — twice as many as last year — will take place at the 11-acre Rosewood Retirement Community on New Stine Road Oct. 3.
“This year we are opening it up to seniors from North of the River, Tehachapi, all of Kern County, really, and surrounding counties like Tulare and Fresno,” said Sharon Varner, Rosewood’s director of leisure service.
Individuals 65-and-older, as well as teams from churches, skilled nursing facilities, retirement communities and other organizations, will show off their spunk and prowess in such senior-friendly events as wheelchair volleyball, a one-mile walk-a-thon, a hole-in-one golf contest and a wheelchair obstacle race — a timed speed event, according to Varner.
The fanfare of the games will begin the night before, she said, and include a torch-lighting ceremony, a parade of teams, and the participation of professional, collegiate and high-school sports clubs and other organizations.
“It’s just an awesome experience to have all these seniors in their wheelchairs and to watch the parade because they line up and they’re so proud of who they are,” Varner said.
The Senior Olympics of Kern County is a free event, Varner said, and registration forms are available online at www.rosewoodretirement.org, or by calling 835-2545.