Marine Corps Veteran Steve Newkirk, 70, was excited about competing with fellow Veterans during the 38th National Veterans Golden Age Games.
The games offer Veterans ages 55 and older a chance to compete in sports and learn new skills through exhibitions. Through its “Fitness for Life” motto, the games demonstrate the value that sports, wellness and fitness provide to encourage older Veterans to stay active.
When Newkirk first moved to Arizona in 2016, his physician recommended that he get involved in the adaptative sports program. “I was missing a leg and my physician really thought it would help with my overall fitness,” Newkirk shared.
“A wonderful experience and I’ve been participating ever since.”
Through the adaptative sports program, Newkirk met other Veterans who were part of the games and they invited him to participate to see what it was about. “I traveled to Anchorage for the games and played pickleball, air rifle, boccia ball and golf. It was a wonderful experience and I’ve been participating ever since,” he said.
During this year’s games, Newkirk participated in 20K bicycle recumbent, 5K bicycle recumbent, golf, air rifle and pickleball.
“Being a part of the National Veterans Golden Age Games has been a really great experience for me. As an amputee, there are many sports I wouldn’t have tried but adaptive sports encouraged me to stay active. It’s kept me active,” he added. “Adaptive Sports is a great opportunity to support other disabled Veterans and get involved in a variety of new sports. I just recently became a certified pickleball coach and can now link that back to the Phoenix VA adaptive sports program and Golden Age Games. I guess you could say I am a success story.”
The National Veterans Golden Age Games is held annually and is a qualifying event for the National Senior Games.
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