The New Mexico Senior Olympics is coming back to Roswell this week.
The games will begin Wednesday and run through Saturday. Some 1,100 adults, ages 50 and older, will be competing in 27 individual sports, including archery, bowling, cycling, track and field, dance, table tennis and pickleball.
Participants will begin arriving in Roswell today for the four-day competition.
The athletes have qualified for the events through their designated, sanctioned local games, held last spring at sites throughout the state. The athletes are record-holders and gold medalists who have competed in the local events. They compete in five-year age divisions and are allowed to register to participate in up to five sports. All entries are verified by local game results to confirm their eligibility.
A registration team of part-time clerks and auditors have processed the event registrations, and all registered athletes receive mailed confirmations for their events.
The Athlete Village will be the main hub beginning Wednesday at 8 a.m. Athletes can pick up game credentials, game souvenirs and visit the health exhibits starting at 10 a.m.
The Athlete Village will also include entertainment, a fashion show and athletes telling their stories of why they are involved in the games and in senior sports in their local communities on a year-round basis. Other happenings there will include free food at 4:30 p.m., made possible by the Ruidoso business Mirau Capital Management Inc.; a car show; a historian talking about the historical site of the courthouse; an art show; event hands-on playing, with shuffleboard, table tennis, huachas and pickleball; and a live radio remote. The Athlete Village is open to the public.
In fact, all events are free to spectators, with the events being held at the New Mexico Military Institute, Cahoon Park, the Wool Bowl Complex, Roswell Adult and Senior Center, the Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell gymnasium, the City Center Bowling Lanes, Roswell High School, Bottomless Lakes and the Roswell Civic Center. A game schedule for spectators is available at various business locations around town, where you see a game poster.
There’s also a health fair that’s open to the public. It will include health information from local senior service providers and health experts, targeting their message for active adults. Some health screenings will be provided.
Exhibitors will endure the outdoor warm summer days just like the athletes, so all are reminded to stay hydrated, wear sunscreen and have fun.
Exhibitors include Lovelace, Brookdale, Miracle Ear, Stryker, Comfort Keepers, city of Roswell Parks and Recreation, Chaves Co. RSVP, Bath Fitters, New Mexico Aging and Long Term Services, the state Department of Health’s office of Oral Health, Palace Spa, United Healthcare, Hair and Company, Molina Healthcare and others.
Several road closures, detours and other traffic controls will be in place Wednesday for the opening day.
New Mexico Senior Olympics Inc. is funded in part by the state Aging and Long Term Services Department. NMSO is a nonprofit organization headquartered in Roswell, with Cecilia Acosta serving as its executive director.
Contributing partners in the games include the city of Roswell, Chaves County RSVP, Roswell Daily Record, Lovelace, Brookdale, Bath Fitters, Stryker and Sonic. For more information, call (575) 642-6048 or visit nmseniorolympics.org.
The Athlete Village will be the site of Athlete Check-In and will feature a health fair and art show, entertainment, historical speakers, vendors and a classic car show. The Athlete Village will run from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. The opening ceremony, with the Parade of Athletes and the Torch Run, will begin at 7 p.m.
The general public is invited and encouraged to attend.
For Senior Olympics game schedule information, visit nmseniorolympics.org or call 575.642.6048
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Roswell Daily Record