After the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, participation in senior olympics cratered.
Now, the attendance in Rio Arriba County is starting to come back.
Though it was a chilly and windy morning, more than 50 seniors from around Rio Arriba came out to the senior olympics hosted at Española Valley High School on April 20.
Event coordinator Nicole Alire, a worker with the public works office, said the county’s recreation department volunteers and organizes the event.
“I think the community still appreciates that this goes on for them, and they look forward to this,” Alire said.
Juan Lopez, a board member, has been working with the senior olympics since 1994, when they became sanctioned by the state.
“I like to work with seniors,” Lopez said. “It fell right into my lap.”
This year, the county event serves as in some ways a glorified practice for seniors; the state summer games in Las Cruces June 12-16 are open for registration. But Alire said next year, the county competition will be a qualifier for state, given the increase in participation.
“Next year, we’ll have to be a little bit more stricter on times, and all that stuff,” Alire said. “Now that the pandemic has changed, they’ve gotten a lot more registration.”
Alire said it was great to see seniors of all ages get outside and be active. The competition is open to anyone 50 or older.
Abel Valdez of Española was believed to be the oldest competitor. He introduced himself as 83 years old, but others said he was 93. Valdez said he has been competing for seven or eight years. He said it keeps him going health-wise.
Events included race walking and running, a long jump for a few competitors, and plenty of throwing activities including Frisbees and softballs, as well as a bean-bag toss. Later in the day, there was a horseshoes tournament and free-throw shooting competition.
The events promote fitness and exercise for seniors across the county. Seniors from as far as Dulce came for the event.
Mark Bibeault, 58, of Medanales, blew past competitors in the running event and won events at state a year ago. His daughter is a top track performer at Los Alamos.
Bibeault said that being active has always been part of his lifestyle, and he has ran marathons and ironman races.
“It’s a challenge because, as you get older, the body wears down,” he said. “It’s about being efficient with your training, and smart about it.”
The senior olympics also had a shuffleboard tournament on April 17, and will host a pickleball tournament on Saturday at the old Sombrillo Elementary.
“It’s really great to see a lot of people come out and participate,” Bibeault said. “It’s about socialization and community.”