Show-Me STATE GAMES golf record-holder to compete again July 23-24

Eighty-one year-old cancer survivor and avid golfer Paul Falcon refuses to let age prevent him from competing in the sport he loves. Last year in the 2010 Show-Me STATE GAMES, Falcon broke the golfing record for age 70 and over by four strokes.

“Age may bring its challenges but my philosophy is ‘never voluntarily make concessions to it,’” said Falcon.

Falcon says he’s inspired to keep competing by the movies “Chariots of Fire” and “Forever Young,” but, most of all, by his wife’s support and encouragement.

This inspiration and his dedication have contributed to his long list of impressive accomplishments over his golfing career including five hole-in-ones, taking first place in 10 district games, winning multiple gold medals Missouri, Illinois and Arkansas state senior games, and taking third place in the 2011 National Senior Games.

Falcon will be golfing in the Show-Me STATE GAMES individually on July 23 and with his partner Tyler Tucker, Falcon’s nephew, on July 24.

Father and daughter to compete in the Show-Me STATE GAMES after excelling together in National Senior Games.

Jan Weisel who recently turned 50 has been bowling since she was in the seventh grade. Although she has bowled most of her life, Weisel was eagerly awaiting her 50^th birthday so that she could begin competing in senior games together with her father Jim Barksdale.

The father-daughter pair recently competed in the National Senior Games in Houston and took bronze in the mixed doubles. Surprisingly, the pairs that took first and second places in this event were also father-daughter pairs.

Jan also took first place in her age group, beating her competition by just five pins.

“I was a nervous wreck,” said Jim of watching the close competition.

Jim says the two are looking forward to competing in the Show-Me STATE GAMES final weekend on July 30-31 as well as in the 2013 National Senior Games in Cleveland.

Professor finds success in recently acquired sport

David Easteria, a biology professor at Northwest Missouri State University, began swimming in 2008 when he first heard of senior games. When he heard of the Games, he registered for a various swimming events and has been competing ever since.

Easteria considers himself an individual swimmer as he competes with no trainer, coach or team.

Although self-coached, Easteria has been excelling in his competitions. He came away from the Show-Me STATE GAMES on June 10-12 with 13 gold medals and two silver medals.

He also recently competed in the Iowa Senior Olympics and earned 10 gold medals as well as some silver and bronze medals.

After battle with throat cancer, Lee’s Summit man returns to the GAMES

In December 2009, Bob Belcher, age 60, of Lee’s Summit, Mo., was diagnosed with Stage 4 throat cancer. Doctors told him that without treatment, he would most likely be dead within a year so Belcher underwent 35 radiation treatments and five chemotherapy treatments.

“When I look back at pictures from that time, I can hardly recognize myself,” Belcher said. During his treatment, he lost over 20 pounds and could not work for almost seven months.

The physical toll that his treatment took on his body was especially hard to face, says Belcher, as he had always been active in athletics. During college, Belcher attended Northwest Missouri State University on scholarships for playing football and track and field.

Before his diagnosis, in the 2009 Missouri State Senior Games, Belcher took second place in shotput, losing only to, who he later discovered, was an old teammate from college.

On April 2, Belcher ran a 5k in his fastest time ever. He credits his desire to get back into the shape he was in before his diagnosis with motivating him during his recovery.

“Participating in the GAMES again gives me something to work towards, something to shoot for,” said Belcher.

This year, Belcher will be participating in the shotput again in the Missouri State Senior Games and, possibly, will be competing in the 100-meter dash and the high jump in the Show-Me STATE GAMES.

“I want to show others who may be going through what I did, that if you work hard and don’t quit, you can get back to where you were before or at least close to it,” Belcher said.

**UPDATE: Belcher took third place in the men’s age 60-64 division shotput with a throw of 34-01.25. He will also be competing in the Show-Me STATE GAMES in July.

Couple meets through and bonds over love of pickleball

Michael Coats and his wife Eldonna met while traveling to a pickleball tournament in Kansas City. Michael was playing mixed doubles with Eldonna’s female partner and Eldonna was playing mixed doubles with Michael’s men’s partner.

The two began dating and playing in tournaments together. In 2010, after they won a tournament for the second year in a row in the 50 plus games of Greater Kansas City, Michael proposed to Eldonna.

They married on November 6, 2010.

“Pickleball has been very good to us,” Michael said.

They will be playing for the first time in both the Missouri State Senior Games and the Show-Me STATE GAMES this year.

**UPDATE: The couple took second place in the Mixed Doubles Third Bracket. Michael, along with his men’s partner Lyle Kern, took first place in Men’s Doubles. Eldonna, along with her women’s partner Grace Jaworsky, took first place in Women’s Doubles.

Sport helps swimmer maintain fitness and overcome health obstacles

While in college, Dave Noble swam competitively for his school. After one swim season, Noble jumped out of a 25-foot tree and broke his arch in his right foot. This injury, as well as an injury to his left knee during his junior year, hindered his ability to practice. However, he did not give up and was able to alter his form allowing him to practice, overcome his injuries and be named All American during his senior year in 1966.

“After I graduated, I laid off for 40 years, and only after I realized that with out exercise I would die young, I started to work out,” said Noble. “Swimming was all I knew.”

At age 64, he competed in the Missouri State Senior Games for the first time and participated in three breaststroke events, breaking records for his age group in each of the events. In order to learn other strokes, Noble hired his college swim coach, Tom Hairabedian, who was the CMSU swim coach and coached the MU swim team in 1965, the first year MU had a swim program.

With his coach’s help, Noble was able to develop his skills in other strokes and, in 2010, he was named All American in the 200 meter butterfly. He also attended the Show-Me STATE GAMES in 2010 and broke 16 records in butterfly, freestyle, breaststroke, and IM.

Since last year, Noble has been working on his backstroke. “My goal is to break all of the backstroke records,” he said.

“I am now 67 and have learned that I can do things that I never thought possible,” said Noble. “I just want to encourage others my age to start exercising. I feel much better then I did before, and I am having the time of my life in competition.”