January 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 36
HEALTH AND WELLNESS
This El Paso Senior Games participant
proves that exercise and wellness can be
a priority at any age.
Beating the Social Stigmas of Aging
Senior athletes and students join forces in community health partnership
By Guillermina Gina Núñez-Mchiri, Ph.D., and David Lopez
F
or the past 32 years, the Senior Games have been taking place in El
Paso, Texas, hosted by the city's Department of Parks and Recreation.
In 2014, the Senior Games offered 15 sports seniors could compete in,
including swimming, basketball, volleyball, pickleball, tennis, racquetball, golf, a road race, cycling, and track and field. During the past three years, the
city has partnered with the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) to connect university students with senior athletes. As students learn through service, they are
also challenging the stereotypes of aging. Senior athletes become prime examples
of how to live longer, healthier lives though physical activity, fun and friendship.
The Senior Games bring out the competitive spirit in senior athletes and inspire
younger generations to adopt healthier habits and exercise in their daily lives.
David Lopez has organized the Senior Games in the past four years and
directs El Paso's 10 senior centers for
the city's Parks and Recreation Department. Lopez notes that several
years ago, the Senior Games were
beginning to wane in popularity in
the city and throughout Texas, so he
is working to combat that as well as
34 Parks & Recreation
some other big challenges. The flagging participation rates, which had a
lot to do with the scant promotion of
the events, meant few people in the
city knew about the Senior Games.
Another issue affecting participation rates has to do with the name of
the competition. The word " senior "
seems to be charged with stereotypes
| J A N UA R Y 2 0 1 5 | W W W. N R PA . O R G
and stigmas associated with aging in
our culture. Who determines who
is a senior? Is it the Census, AARP
or restaurants that offer senior discounts?
Lopez considered the social stigmas associated with being a " senior. "
While athletes are eligible to participate in the Senior Games beginning
in their 50s, many people at that age
do not see themselves as seniors yet
and feel that word is for people who
are much older, despite the fact that
those in their 50s are more likely to
be able to compete in many of the
events and to be able to start healthy
habits now, before health problems
prevent them from doing so. Senior
athletes in their 70s and 80s seem
to be more comfortable with aging,
particularly as they have found ex-
January 2015 - Parks & Recreation
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