Friday, June 5, 2009

The Story Of The Century [Video]: 100-Year-Old Athlete Still Playing To Win

“One day after turning 100, Roger Gentilhomme did what he does almost every morning while he's on Cape Cod for the season. He joined a group of friends for two hours of tennis doubles at a local condominium complex. To call it old man's tennis would do a disservice to Gentilhomme and his playing partners. Age is relative, after all. And at his age, Gentilhomme continues to amaze anyone who steps onto the court with him. ‘I'm off all medication now,’ he boasted during a court change. ‘I'm starting a new century as a newborn kid.’ Gentilhomme (he pronounces it GEN-til-home) is not only a model of how to age gracefully, but he might be the most decorated Massachusetts athlete you've never heard of. In August he'll enter the 2009 National Senior Games in San Francisco, one of six registrants vying for a gold medal in tennis (singles) in the 90-and-over age bracket. Over the past 15 years, he's collected more than 40 gold medals, and nearly 50 overall, in various state, regional, and national tournaments competing in three sports: tennis, bowling, and shuffleboard. Named ‘Male Athlete of the Year’ at the 2007 Florida Senior Games, Gentilhomme took home a pair of golds at the National Senior Olympics in Kentucky that year, followed by two more (in tennis and bowling) at the 2008 Massachusetts Senior Games in Boston..."

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/06/05/100_year_old_mass_athlete_still_playing_to_win/?p1=Well_MostPop_Emailed1

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