Huntsman World Senior Games Active Life

Aileen Gaumond spent 20 years as an electrician at a time when women were rarely welcomed in construction, earning her place in the union and working on everything from high-rises to tunnels. Along the way, she raised two elite U.S. Figure Skating athletes, returned to school for graphic design, and later taught everything from computers to electrical skills in a youth maximum-security prison, ear...

Stephen Matakovich, better known as "Tako" in the Senior Softball circuit, grew up just outside Pittsburgh as a proud Pitt fan and someone who still builds his daily life around staying active. He was a die-hard baseball player growing up, dreaming of playing in the big leagues and winning the state championship in high school. He also enjoyed football, basketball, and martial arts in hi...

Isabel Eliashev grew up in Venezuela and came to the United States as an international student, eventually earning a track scholarship at the New York Institute of Technology, all before becoming a U.S. citizen. She went from learning English through her track coach to building a lifelong career in education. Today, in addition to teaching Spanish and coaching cross country, she serves as the Head...

A 75-year-old Army veteran and lifelong outdoorsman, Michael Sharkey spent years hiking, fishing, and skiing. More recently, he has taken up trap shooting, and he recently earned a silver medal at the Huntsman World Senior Games, hitting 80 out of 100 clay targets. Michael is also an avid gravel and road cyclist, traveling across the country and even Europe to compete. He finds cycling to be more...

Rocky Jackson has always enjoyed staying active. He was an employment labor attorney for 43 years, and at age 19, he was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in 1969 out of Yakima Valley Community College, which he jokes makes him the oldest living holdout of the team now called the Cleveland Guardians. He spent his college years playing against future MLB greats, collecting enough road-trip stories t...

Vera Koo is a first-generation Chinese American woman whose life reads like an adventure in courage and reinvention. She is a 79-year-old wife, mother of three and grandmother of six, author, entrepreneur, and retired professional athlete who broke barriers in action pistol shooting. Through her adulthood, she has enjoyed a variety of outdoor activities, including snow and water skiing, equestrian...

At just eight years old, Margie Mettenet survived a devastating car accident that left her in traction for months. Once she could walk again, she learned to run and didn’t stop: competing in track in the Junior Olympics, high school, and college. Margie also competed in high school basketball and volleyball at BYU, but after college, her 45-year love affair with high-level tennis began. A broken a...

Former Junior Olympian and college football player Tim McMahon has been a masters track athlete since age 32, having competed nationwide in sprints, hurdles, long jump, and decathlon. He recently expanded his athletic pursuits by competing in masters swimming for the first time at the Huntsman World Senior Games. Just three years ago, Tim was diagnosed with stage-3 lymphoma, and he also underwent...

James Neider is the Executive Director of Cardiovascular Services for Intermountain Health’s Desert Region, leading a team of more than 75 cardiology providers and 300 caregivers. He focuses on advancing cardiovascular care, operational excellence, and team development across the region. Previously, James directed the Heart Specialty Care & Transplant Center at Ascension Seton Medical Center i...

At 70 years old, Bee Kilgore is proof that adventure doesn’t come with an expiration date. A retired trauma ICU nurse of 20 years who completed three international medical missions, she’s also a mountain climber and a regular on 100-mile cattle drives. Bee began competing in tennis at age eight and was a highly-ranked player from the ages of 8-21 before transitioning to pickleball five years ago....

At 65, Debbie Barry is a powerhouse and benefactor of people who believed in her. Once a high school drum major and avid reader, she didn’t start her fitness journey until age 39, when she lost over 50 pounds with the help of a friend. Debbie ran distance races, including a marathon and several half marathons, cycled, and learned to swim. When she was 61, Debbie tried the Sierra Gold Track Team an...

Merilee Bingham is a first-year gift shop superstar at the Huntsman World Senior Games and a passionate, certified group fitness instructor who has turned her own journey into inspiration for others. While helping her children through some struggles, she realized she too should make some changes; as a result, she erased an unhealthy habit and replaced it with fitness, community, and purpose. Fitne...

Larry Kiser is a lifelong athlete whose passion for movement started on the football field, where he walked on, played, and lettered at Brigham Young University. These days, you’ll find him golfing with friends, hiking, or mountain biking around St. George, Utah. After surviving a heart attack in 2020, Larry made a commitment to take control of what he could: his health, mindset, and daily habits....

This week's show features an update on our 2025 Games and features our Director of International Hospitality, Mindy Case. Mindy and Kyle discuss how our Games provide translation and transportation to anyone participating in our event for free. Mindy also discusses a recent undertaking called "Dear Sport," where athletes were invited to write a letter to their sport. Kyle and Mindy...

Born in New York and raised in Texas, Joe Gray, has spent a lifetime blending passion for competition with dedication to teamwork. A lifelong ballplayer, he started on the baseball diamond and never really left it, transitioning into softball, where he’s been part of two senior national championships, a senior world championship, and countless regional titles. At the Huntsman World Senior Games, h...

Pat Davies enjoyed participating in a variety of sports in his youth, including Little League and swimming. As an adult, he found new outlets for his competitive spirit, spending a decade in karate, moving into marathons and ultrarunning, hiking, and even competing in the unique “ride and tie” races that combine running with endurance horseback riding. He has completed over 100 hikes to the top of...

Steve Claflin’s life in racket sports is one of resilience, reinvention, and passion. A former nationally-ranked table tennis champion and Port Huron Sports Hall of Fame inductee, Steve’s competitive career was nearly ended by a devastating knee injury and infection in 2002. After years of rehabilitation, he found his way back to the game in 2010 through hardbat ping pong, a slower, strategy-drive...

For 50 years, Tita Ugalde has been lifting up the sport of disc golf with skill, passion, and a contagious smile. PDGA #83, she first discovered the game in 1975 at the world’s very first disc golf course in Pasadena, and she hasn’t stopped throwing since. A two-time World Champion and seven-time Major winner, Tita now dedicates much of her energy to growing the sport worldwide, having led women’s...

In June 2022, Mark Walters suffered a stroke on the pickleball court, an ordeal that doctors said left him in the 99.9th percentile of survival with remarkable mental and physical acuity. Though he continues to live with lingering effects such as numbness and diminished taste, Mark has not only returned to the court but continues to improve his game. A lifelong athlete: U17 city table tennis champ...

Nina Pucillo, known as “Nina Cucina,” is a health coach, culinary expert, and founder of the Nina Cucina Lifestyle Jumpstart, a program helping women over 50 reclaim vitality through clean, flavorful eating, and sustainable wellness practices. Her journey began with a deeply personal mission: using nutrition to transform her ex-husband’s health, and leading to a 60-pound weight loss and a life-cha...

At 66, Salt Lake City native Gawynn Dutson now lives in Hildale, Washington County, UT and proves that age is no barrier to adventure. What began as a click on a Facebook ad in 2021 launched a high-altitude journey from Utah’s trails to the Himalayas. Since then, Gawynn has trekked to Everest Base Camp, climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, and summited Nepal’s 21,000-foot Mera Peak twice (once in November 2...

Rachel Prairie brings over 20 years of experience in health and fitness to her work, offering health coaching for women, immersive wellness retreats, sound healing, and guided wilderness adventures in Southern Utah. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of St. Catherine and focused certifications in strength training, pain management, active aging, nutrition, and recovery modalities...

James Pauley has dedicated his life to mastering the art of shooting a basketball. Widely regarded as the world’s top-ranked active free throw shooter, regardless of age, James has made over 3,000 free throws in a row twice and more than 100 three-pointers consecutively on 29 occasions, with a personal best of 283 straight. He has held every basketball shooting record at the Huntsman World Senior...

Urologist Dr. Dave Ludlow practices all aspects of general urology in Las Vegas, Nevada including minimally invasive and robotic techniques to treat urologic cancers, BPH (Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia), and kidney stones. He has published research articles and presented at multiple national conferences. Dr. Ludlow received his undergraduate degree at Brigham Young University, medical degree at Uni...

At 86, Florence Anderson is an inspiring mother of six children, grandmother of 24, and great grandmother of 38! She runs every morning, a practice that began in 1973 when she started jogging laps around a high school track to reclaim her fitness. With determination and a neighbor’s encouragement, her first marathon was completed barely under the five-hour cutoff, but over time, Florence built her...