Gold Medalist Fleming to Help Humana Honor & Celebrate Local Senior Games Participants

The send-off tour for the 2009 Summer National Senior Games, presented by Humana, will visit Las Vegas today with special guest and Olympic gold medalist Peggy Fleming. The biennial games, the largest multi-sport event in the world for seniors, will be held Aug. 1-15 in Palo Alto, Calif.

The send-off will take place at 10 a.m. at the iconic “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign, 5100 Las Vegas Boulevard. Speakers will include Fleming, Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, Oraida Roman, president of Senior Products for Humana of Nevada, and Nevada Senior Games President Gary Cotter, as well as a number of athletes.

More than 10,000 athletes ages 50 and above, including 125 from Nevada, will compete in the 2009 Summer National Senior Games, which emphasize vitality at all ages. The athletes will compete in more than 800 events over 15 days in sports including track and field, swimming, volleyball, triathlon, golf and many more.

“As an athlete and member of the National Senior Games Olympians Competition Advisory Committee, I have seen first-hand the benefits of leading an active and healthy lifestyle,” said Fleming. “No matter what stage of life you’re in or whether you’re an elite athlete or not, everyone can benefit from making regular exercise part of their lifestyle.”

Among them are two inspiring athletes from Las Vegas, Dan and Marina Cravens.

Dan Cravens, 65, and his wife, Marina, 49, are involved in table tennis at the National Summer Senior Games. Married for more than four years, the two met at the Huntsman World Games while competing in table tennis. Since retiring from the military, Dan Cravens has become the state coordinator for table tennis at the senior level, running a program that started with about 30 members, and has now grown to include more than 130. Marina Cravens was the coach for the Russian national table tennis team for more than 20 years. She now helps run and organize state competitions, as well as the senior program. Both agree that the fitness and activity they engage in has played a big part in keeping them healthy.

“Athletes like Dan and Marina Cravens serve as role models when it comes to healthy aging,” said Oraida Roman, president of Senior Products for Humana of Nevada. “We know even modest exercise results in improvements in blood pressure, diabetes, lipid profile, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis and brain function. Still, it can be difficult to get started.