ROBERTSDALE, Alabama — Seniors from the George P. Thames Senior Center in Robertsdale once again participated in the Alabama Masters Games bringing home several medals from the tournament held Oct. 2-5 in Trussville.
“We have fun every year at the games and we’re always looking forward to next year,” said center director Sarah Duncan.
A total of 18 participants attended the games this year from the Senior Center, up from 12 a year ago, including nine first-time participants.
“The games provide our seniors with an opportunity to socialize,” she said, “to meet new friends and get reacquainted with friends they’ve met in year’s past. Our goal is to encourage others from throughout the county to participate in the games.”
You do not have to be a part of a senior group to attend the games, Duncan said. The only requirement for participation is to be at least age 50.

“We have participants who are 90 and above compete and win medals,” she said. “It’s a great experience for anyone who wants to participate and stay active.”
According to the East Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission Website, the Masters Games of Alabama is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting healthy lifestyles for active adults age 50 and over through social, mental, and physical activities.
They were developed in Oxford in 1989 to provide adults age 50 and above an opportunity to maintain an active lifestyle by participating in a variety of events. Each year, between 600 and 800 participants and volunteers from across the state participate in the games.
This is the 12th straight year participants from the Thames Senior Center participated in the games, which sponsored by the Area Agency on Aging, also locally by the South Alabama Regional Planning Commission.
Seniors qualify in local competitions held throughout Mobile and Baldwin counties in May through July. This year seniors from the Thames Center brought home 33 medals from the games.
The Thames Center represents District 7, which includes Baldwin, Mobile, Escambia, Conecuh, Washington, Choctaw, Clarke, Wilcox and Monroe counties. Participants also attend locally from Orange Beach, Saraland, Chickasaw and Mobile.
The Thames Center serves Robertsdale, Loxley and Silverhill in Central Baldwin, Duncan said. They also have participants from Fairhope, Gulf Shores, Elberta and Malbis.
Participants in this year’s games included, in alphabetical order:
• Bud Biggs, gold medal, Frisbee; silver, basketball free throw, shuffleboard and billiards; bronze, Nerf ball.
•Olivia Campbell, cheerleader.
•Sarah Duncan, cheerleader.
•Mary Fuller, fitness medal walk participant.
•Beth Hurley, fitness medal walk participant.
•Carole Jones, silver medal, checkers; bronze, horseshoes.
•Harvey Nabors, fitness medal walk participant and bus driver.
•Mary Nabors, gold medal, double dominoes; silver, shuffleboard.
•Dorothy Reisel, silver medal, billiards; bronze, double dominoes; fitness medal walk participant.
•Ken Reisel, bronze medal, 5K; fitness medal walk participant.
•Ellen Roberts, cheerleader.
•Georgia Rudolph, cheerleader.
•Jean Sobol, fitness medal walk participant.
•Crystal Thomley, gold medals, billiards, horseshoes and shuffleboard; silver, table tennis; bronze, Frizbee and net ball.
•Mary Williams, gold medal, double dominoes.
•Steve Williams, cheerleader and bus driver.
•Martha Young, gold medal, 5K walk; bronze, horseshoes.
For more information about the games, go to mastersgamesalabama.org. For more information about activities at the Center, contact Duncan at 251-947-8973.