The Greater New Orleans Louisiana district will be represented at the National Senior Olympic Games being held June 3-18, with local seniors traveling to Pittsburgh, PA for the competition. The Louisiana delegation of 273 athletes competing includes Andrew Nadler of Plaquemine Parish who will compete in Archery (recurve). Nadler placed fourth overall in archery (recurve) in the Virginia Beach, Virginia, 2003 national games. The National Senior Games are held every two years for men and women 50 years and older. In order to qualify to compete at the national level, these seniors had to meet certain qualification times or distances at the Louisiana Senior Olympic Games (LSOG) held last fall. The Louisiana seniors will be competing in 18 different events, including cycling, golf, track and field, road racing, volleyball, basketball, horseshoes, race walking, shuffleboard, softball, bowling, racquetball, table tennis, swimming, tennis, archery, badminton, and triathlon. Steven Gitz, a three-time national champion in horseshoes, will be the flag bearer for the Louisiana delegation. A resident of Lafayette, Gitz is 57 years old. The National Senior Games, like the Louisiana Senior Games, are dedicated to promoting healthy lifestyles for adults over 50 years of age through education, fitness and sports. In Louisiana, regional senior competitions are held throughout the state, and in some cases, participants must qualify to go to the state competition.

The state competition, which includes some 30 sports, will be held in Baton Rouge from mid-September through October. Seniors must be members of LSOG to participate in the Louisiana Senior Games. Membership is $10 per year, but seniors should join soon to ensure they can participate in the state games this fall. For more information on becoming a participant in the Senior Games, see the Louisiana Senior Olympic Games website: www.lsog.net; or call 1-800-799-8309.