These Senior Athletes Are The Ultimate Fitness Motivation

Now what's your excuse?

Too tired. Too busy. Too old. These aren't truths. These are excuses. And we have the athletes to prove it.

Over the weekend, the first ever Brooklyn Senior Games, hosted by New York City Parks and Recreation, wrapped up five days of post 50s competing for the gold.

Seniors from all over the city came out to participate in competitions that included bowling, tennis, basketball swimming and table tennis.

Shannon Stapleton / Reuters

"A lot of us played sports in high school, some played in college," participant Ellis Bey told News 12 Brooklyn. "It's a way to keep healthy, stay focused."

And it's part of the reason the games were started. The dream of Joyce Bolden, an athlete herself and president of the St. John's Seniors Organization, the games were a way of motivating seniors to stay fit.

Bolden says her personal motto is "Activation prevents stagnation." "It's not just a question of winning medals, it's a question of what it does for your health," Bolden said.

Check out some of the candid moments from the games, below, which only add to the ever-growing list of senior athletes shattering stereotypes.

Shannon Stapleton / Reuters
Carolyn Pratt, 63, competes in the backstroke portion of the swimming competition during the Brooklyn Senior Games at the St. Johns Recreation Center in New York, U.S., May 11, 2016.
Shannon Stapleton / Reuters
Joyce Bolden, 76, is lifted out of the pool after competing in a swimming heat during the Brooklyn Senior Games at the St. Johns Recreation Center in New York, U.S., May 11, 2016.
Shannon Stapleton / Reuters
Carolyn Pratt, 63, embraces Hyacinth Constance, 62, after competing in a swimming heat during the Brooklyn Senior Games at the St. Johns Recreation Center in New York, U.S., May 11, 2016.
Shannon Stapleton / Reuters
Walter Wilson watches the Bid Whist card game competition during the Brooklyn Senior Games at the St. Johns Recreation Center in New York, U.S., May 11, 2016.
Shannon Stapleton / Reuters
Swimmers wait to compete in the swimming portion of the Brooklyn Senior Games at the St. Johns Recreation Center in New York, U.S., May 11, 2016.
Shannon Stapleton / Reuters
Men watch others compete in a basketball game during the Brooklyn Senior Games at the St. Johns Recreation Center in New York, U.S., May 11, 2016.
Shannon Stapleton / Reuters
Thelma Wilson, 90, bowls during the Brooklyn Senior Games in New York, U.S., May 10, 2016.
Shannon Stapleton / Reuters
Emma Moore, 60, competes in the shuffle board competition with Steve Groce, 52, during the Brooklyn Senior Games at the St. Johns Recreation Center in New York, U.S., May 10, 2016.
Shannon Stapleton / Reuters
Natalie Pyle fold her hands during the Bid Whist card game competition during the Brooklyn Senior Games at the St. Johns Recreation Center in New York, U.S., May 11, 2016.
Shannon Stapleton / Reuters
A man stands with his medals after competing in the swimming portion of the Brooklyn Senior Games at the St. Johns Recreation Center in New York, U.S., May 11, 2016.
Shannon Stapleton / Reuters
Swimmers wait for their medals after competing in the swimming portion of the Brooklyn Senior Games at the St. Johns Recreation Center in New York, U.S., May 11, 2016.
Shannon Stapleton / Reuters
A woman with gray dreadlocks waits for the next heat during the track and field porting of the Brooklyn Senior Games at Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex in the Staten Island borough of New York, U.S., May 12, 2016.
Shannon Stapleton / Reuters
Lara Shearn Hill, 63, waits for the next heat during the track and field porting of the Brooklyn Senior Games at Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex in the Staten Island borough of New York, U.S., May 12, 2016.
Shannon Stapleton / Reuters
Seniors compete in shuffleboard games during the Brooklyn Senior Games at the St. Johns Recreation Center in New York, U.S., May 10, 2016.
Shannon Stapleton / Reuters
Seniors rest in between quarters of a basketball game during the Brooklyn Senior Games at the St. Johns Recreation Center in New York, U.S., May 11, 2016.
Shannon Stapleton / Reuters
A woman is cheered on during the track and field portion of the Brooklyn Senior Games at Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex in the Staten Island borough of New York, U.S., May 12, 2016.

Before You Go

Ms. Senior America Portraits Inspire Us To Age Fabulously

Popular in the Community

Close

What's Hot