3rd Annual North Dakota Senior Games Begin

Nearly 150 seniors are competing in this year's tournaments

FARGO & WEST FARGO, N.D. — Cindy Miller learned from the people closest to her how important it is to stay active.

“At the age of 91, my mom started trying to play pickleball. And her eyesight was a little shaky right then, but she was a tennis player. She played all the way up until she was almost 93,” she said.

Now, Cindy’s mom is 97 and still going strong.

For many of the athletes at the North Dakota Senior Games, staying fit is a way of life.

“You use it or lose it. That’s absolutely true. You’ve gotta stay active, and the older you get, the harder you have to work at it, too. And it can be done, anybody, everybody can do it, at any level,” said Denis Miller.

The tournaments range from pickleball to swimming, golf, bowling, track and field and so many more.

Fargo Parks says anybody can compete, no matter their skill level.

You just have to find the sport you’re passionate about.

For some, it’s pickle ball.

“What other national tournament do pro’s play in do you know that the scrubs like us also play in? I mean, it doesn’t happen. And pickle ball, we’re out there competing just like the pros, right alongside of them. Not with them, alongside of ’em,” Miller said.

Although he had fun, Miller didn’t win this morning’s pickelball tournament.

“I’m gonna blame my new knee on this loss. I got a new knee. It’s only 9 and a half months old, and it’s just learning to work again,” he added.

“You know, it takes four months for a knee to heal,” Miller’s friend and opponent, Mark Stolpman, noted.

Whether they’re playing to win or just for fun, the Senior Games are here to remind people that age is just a number and that anybody can be an athlete.

The tournaments are expected to wrap up Saturday morning.

Anyone 50 and over can compete.