The Upper Cumberland will be represented in Des Moines for the National Senior Olympics over the next two weeks.
Franc Connor will participate in the Javelin event. Connor said the competition aspect is fun, but the real joy is the relationships competing has brought him.
“A lot of it’s just friendships and competition,” Connor said. “Nobody really cares about gold, silver, bronze. You want to win them, but it’s actually doing things.”
Over 200 seniors from the region participated in the Tennessee Senior Olympics in June. Connor said he has competed in several Senior Olympic competitions and similar events over the years.
He recently competed in competitions in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and Huntsville, Alabama.
Connor said his interest in competing came from a friend and a desire to do something besides sitting around all day.
Connor said he once competed in Senior Olympic softball, but is now focused on Javelin, which he wanted to try because the idea of an old man throwing a pointed seemed like a fun thing.
“I go over to Brown Elementary’s old football field and just keep practicing,” Connor said. “Once a weekend if I can, weather permitting. You just got to try to keep the rhythm up, stay in shape.”
Connor said the difference between competing and practice is evident, mostly because a live opponent makes him perform better.
One of the important things about the national competition is representing your home. Conner said he takes pride in representing Tennessee, but the Des Moines competition also holds some meaning.
“I did Iowa for a lot of years because my wife lived there,” Connor said. “And I had a friend up there that threw [javelin] , and we were usually within one or two inches of each other for distance. But I’ve known him for 15 years now. You get some long term friendships out of it, but competing for Tennessee is, it’s your home.”