Atention Notre Dame fans!
By Sean Callahan
SEAN CALLAHAN'S BLOG (October 24, 2009) -- I have written a children's book on the history of Notre Dame football. It's called "A is for Ara: The ABCs of Notre Dame Football." We have a limited amount of copies that have been autographed by legendary Notre Dame head coach Ara Parseghian, who won two national championships for the Fighting Irish. We are selling these copies for $29.95 and donating $20 to the Ara Parseghian Medical Research Foundation. . . . keep reading...>>
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Ice man
By Sean Callahan
SEAN CALLAHAN'S BLOG (Sept. 22, 2009) -- Bruce Conner, who turned 53 in June, is the oldest ever to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Trials in speed skating, which will be held starting in Milwaukee on Oct. 21. (The second part of the trials will be held in Salt Lake City after Christmas). Conner qualified in the 500 meters. He skated a 38.47 to beat the qualifying standard of 39.0. Conner, who is the brother of Olympic gymnast Bart Conner, is a 747 pilot and lives in Kildeer, Ill. He trains in Milwaukee, so he'll have a home ice advantage in the trials. . . . keep reading...>>
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Rickman shoots...
SEAN CALLAHAN'S BLOG (July 27, 2009) -- Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Rick Rickman has long been fascinated by older athletes. He has shot a number of National Senior Games. I met him during my first visit to a National Senior Games in Tucson, Ariz., back in 1997. He's been hoping to publish a book of his huge catalog of photographs of Masters athletes for a long. Now he's finally gotten around to it. . . . keep reading...>>
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Expecting the unexpected
By Sean Callahan
SEAN CALLAHAN'S BLOG (June 25, 2009) -- Here are two stories that took me by suprise, even though by now I should know better. First, did you know there's a Stickball Hall of Fame? Well, there is. It's in New York, of course. Marty Ross told me about the hall. Most likely because he's going to be inducted on July 10 in ceremonies that will be held at the Museum of the City of New York. Ross, who is 68 and originally from New York, now lives in Wellington, Fla., where he started a stickball league for men in their 60s, 70s and 80s. The league is in its seventh season. One of our correspondents, Ray Glier, wrote a story about Ross' league in our magazine. . . . keep reading...>>
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Interview No. 4
By Don McGrath
DON MCGRATH'S BLOG (June 10, 2009) -- Bret Williams is a 50-year-old, long-time, talented multi-sport athlete who lives in Gross Point Park, Mich. Over the years Bret has participated in running, gymnastics, racquetball, handball, pole vaulting, and yoga. While he excelled at pole vaulting in high school, and hoped to receive a college scholarship, a very bad ankle injury ended that dream. Not to be stopped, Bret went on to compete at a national level in racquetball and handball, giving professional players a run for their money on more than one occasion. . . . keep reading...>>
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So many stories
By Don McGrath
DON MCGRATH'S BLOG (May 27, 2009) -- I want to thank all of you who have either contacted me to participate or agreed to an interview. I am amazed by the stories that I am hearing from people as I get to know a little bit about them. So far I've heard from people who participate in track sprints, hurdles, in-line skating, handball, field events (high-jump, javelin, and pole vault), distance running, extreme unicycling, swimming, and cycling. I'm amazed at the high level of achievement I'm seeing. More than a few national and world record holders. I've heard from people from across the U.S., and I'm also excited to have the opportunity to interview someone from the Netherlands! I'm extremely excited about this project and I hope you will all be interested in hearing how things develop. . . . keep reading...>>
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Our newest blogger
By Don McGrath
DON MCGRATH'S BLOG (May 22, 2009) -- Editor's Note: Don McGrath describes himself as a lifelong athlete. Now 46, he makes his living as an engineer for a high tech company, but he still runs and is a rock climber. His plan is to write a book on athletes who are 50+ and he'll be sharing the fruits of those interviews in this space. Now here's Dan...Welcome to my blog. I'm a lifelong athlete who is turning 46 years old this year, and still very passionate about my sport. I am looking around the bend to my fifties and beyond and thinking about how I can continue to enjoy this important part of my life. I have embarked on a project to interview at least 50 athletes over 50 years old towards the goals of understanding the challenges facing older athletes, understanding successful strategies employed by them, and compiling their stories such that we can gain inspiration to look down the road with excitement and anticipation. . . . keep reading...>>
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Asanas for Athletes
By Ian Dille
Behind the closed doors of a darkened yoga studio, music reverberates off the walls in a mesmerizing chant: ganapati om jaya ganapati om, ganapati om jaya ganapati om. On spongy mats scattered across the hardwood floor, practitioners stretch and hold their bodies in a series of flowing movements--each one accompanied by deep exhalations. The relaxed vibe is the antithesis of a track meet, bicycle race or triathlon, and partly why so many athletes--and Masters athletes in particular--incorporate yoga into their daily training regimen. "Athletes push their bodies to the edge in a very specific way; train harder, go faster," says Lauran Janes, the yoga class instructor at the Pure Austin gym in Austin, Texas. "Yoga brings in an essence of non-competitiveness. With yoga, the only way to get to the edge is by letting go. And with older athletes, you don't need to convince them this is beneficial. They know if they don't take care of what they have, they'll lose it." . . . keep reading...>>
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Men's 70-79 Masters Athlete of the Year: Dave Bauer
By Brion O'Connor
At 73, Dave Bauer has garnered seven age-group world championships in indoor rowing, the last coming this past February at the CRASH-B Sprints in Boston. That title, in the Veterans Lightweight 70-74 category, came on the heels of Bauer's first European Championship, which he won with the U.S. national indoor rowing team in Dresden, Germany, in December 2007. "I firmly believe that rowing is the very best single workout there is," he said. "It works all the major muscle groups with no impact, and it is a great cardiovascular workout as well." Nearly two decades ago, when he was 55 and living in California, Bauer was a top-flight age-group runner with one obstacle he couldn't overcome -- debilitating back pain. . . . keep reading...>>
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Athletes in the Military
By Nancy Averett
There are mornings when Marine Corps Maj. Andrew Christian wakes up before the sun in anticipation of a tough workout. The 40-year-old might lie in bed, dreading the three-hour bike ride and 90 minutes of running he's facing. Then he thinks about that morning in February 2006 when he and a team of Marines were traveling by convoy to a military compound in Karbala, Iraq, and a roadside bomb exploded, killing one of his comrades and severely wounding two others. "I want to make something good out of something tragic," he says. "It could have been me." Christian thinks of those impacted by the blast -- the fatherless children, the Marines' painful rehabilitations, their wives' struggles to pay the bills -- and he gets out of bed. They are the reason he trains. With each endurance event Christian competes in, he earns money from sponsors that he donates to the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund and to a college fund to benefit 6-year-old Kaiya Collado, the daughter of Staff Sgt. Jay Collado, who was killed in the attack. So far, he has raised more than $100,000 and completed two Ironman triathalons, a marathon and a half Ironman. In October, he was slated to compete in the 2008 Ford Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii. Not all Masters athletes who serve in the military compete for such a dramatic reason. But many share his determination to be the best they can be at their sport. . . . keep reading...>>
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Team Players
By Valerie Pop
It's in the character of Masters sports that teammates can form bonds that go beyond those formed by Little Leaguers. Teams of Masters athletes, as they age up, can stay together for decades. Their experiences on the playing field and on the road can bring teammates together in life-long friendships. Over the years, these teammates share wins and losses on and off the court. They become like brothers and sisters, like family. Masters sports from basketball to rugby to softball abound with tales of teams that have been together "forever" and with stories of teammates who have become such a part of each other's lives that they're side-by-side celebrating births and weddings -- and even mourning as one at wakes and funerals. . . . keep reading...>>
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Same Diagnosis, Different Treatments
By Valerie Pop, R.N.
According to a study published in the August issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology, there are currently no standard treatment protocols for early-stage prostate cancer. In other words, where a man lives and who his doctor is often decides his treatment. And then there's the recent news that checking for prostate cancer over the age of 75 is not recommended by the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force. While prostate cancer can seem to be a conundrum -- it's generally a slow growing cancer yet it is the second leading cause of cancer death for American men -- the bottom line is not related to news: men need to know about it and its treatment options in order to make informed decisions about their own health. Carl Frankel is now 73. He is doing well. He has his PSA checked every month. His motto: "You've got to follow-up." . . . keep reading...>>
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Attention: Women
By Valerie Pop, R.N.
Whether he's a brother, husband, son or dad, starting at the age of 40, men should be screened for prostate cancer. If you're the one trying to figure out how to get him to the doctor's office, here are some suggestions: . . . keep reading...>>
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Suffering for Others
By Valerie Pop
ENDURANCE ATHLETE MARSHALL ULRICH ran more than 300 miles before the pain in his shins from tendinitis started to become a problem. His support team doctor told him he could be risking permanent damage if he continued with his goal of completing the Badwater Ultra course -- a 135-mile trek through Death Valley to Mt. Whitney, Calif. -- four times in a row. The 56-year-old had 276 miles still to go. As Ulrich put it, recalling this record-book run in 2000, "I thought, If I do this for myself, I don't want to finish. But because there were others involved, it's important." On the road for 10 days with just a few hours sleep, with stabbing pains in his legs with every step and through 120-degree desert sun and 30-mph hot winds, he continued. His thoughts were of starving children. It put his plight into perspective. He crossed the finish line, 535 miles behind him and $70,000 in fundraising pledges secured. Charity fundraising from athletic events produces big money -- $1.64 billion in gross revenue last year, according to a study by the Run Walk Ride Council. More athletes, from 5k runners and triathletes to marathoners and ultra-athletes, hit the starting line knowing their success means not just a medal for their collection, but a nice donation to a worthy cause. . . . keep reading...>>
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100% Inspiration
By Allen Lessels
TWO SIMPLE WORDS: They inspire. Fact is, each issue of this magazine teems with stories of athletes who inspire. Dozens of them. Over the course of a year, hundreds. Start with those who are candidates for the GeezerJock of the Year. Or Comeback Masters Athlete of the Year. Throw in all the others who are featured in assorted stories in these pages. For this story, we went looking for a few Masters athletes who have escaped our notice in the past but most definitely inspire by their deeds and their actions, their attitudes and their approach to life and the varied and difficult challenges (from illness and age to the loss of a child and the loss of a leg) it dishes out. Here are their stories. . . . keep reading...>>
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Camping off the beaten path
By Brion O'Connor
If you're like me, you grew up dreaming of following in the footsteps of heroes from the "Big Four" sports. I followed the fortunes of many favorites, including Carl Yastrzemski of the Boston Red Sox, Joe Namath of the New York Jets, Walt "Clyde" Frazier and Willis Reed of the Knicks and Bobby Orr of the Boston Bruins (don't ask about the New York-Boston conflict -- it's complicated). And if I had a chance today to attend an adult "fantasy" sports camp with any of these greats, I'd jump at it. But as I grew older, different sports began to catch my fancy. And there are plenty whose heroes come from outside the traditional ball-and-stick variety. There's running (Bill Rogers), cycling (Greg LeMond), NASCAR (Dale Earnhardt Sr.), mountaineering (Sir Edmund Hilary) or golf (Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus), to name same. Fortunately, there are a number of adult sports camps that also cater to these pursuits. Here's a sampling of some favorites: . . . keep reading...>>
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