Olympic Games for Older Athletes Has Legs

The Pan-American Masters Games debuted in Toronto, Canada, almost 40 years ago, with 8,305 athletes representing 61 countries competing in 22 sporting disciplines.  

Owned and operated by the International Masters Games Association (IMGA), a member of the International Olympic Committee, a Masters event has been hosted every year in a different part of the world — Pan-American (in North or South America), Asia-Pacific (in Asia), European (in Europe) and World Games (any location). This summer, they were held in Cleveland, Ohio.  

The games are about competition, yes, but they're not always about winning. For many participants, the Games are more about the opportunity to travel to new, unfamiliar destinations and to meet friends they haven't met yet. Yes, winning a medal is always nice. But not the only prize. 

George Liolios, 76, from Munroe Falls, Ohio, is a cyclist, who just won a pair of medals at the 2024 Pan American Masters Games — a bronze medal in the criterium and road race and a silver in the time trial.  

"I'm always trying to be the best in whatever I'm trying to accomplish," Liolios says. "I set long-term goals for the racing season and then very specific goals for individual races." 

Liolios got into cycling for practical reasons and the competitive cycle began to spin. "I have been racing bikes for over 45 years," he says. "That said, my love for the sport started with me commuting to work for 37 years. I worked for DuPont/Dow Elastomers in Stow, Ohio." His commute was approximately six miles one way, he says. 

"My love for the sport started with the freedom bike commuting gave me and then the thrill from the speed of racing," Liolios says. "I was fortunate because I was good and moved up in the cycling ranks very rapidly and my desire to improve just kept growing." 

Liolios trains year-round, every day. "I strength train three times a week in the winter and once a week during the racing season," Liolios says. "I'm training on my bike every day doing various workouts. During the week for specific internals and on the weekend, I add longer rides of two-plus hours with hills." Liolios also teaches spinning classes twice a week at the Tallmadge Recreation Center. 

This was the first Pan-American Games he has competed in but won't be his last, he says. Prior to the Games this summer, Liolios has won awards in other cycling competitions. He previously competed in three National Senior Games and many USA Cycling national championships and state championships. "I won two national championships in the time trial event and many state championships in the time trial, road race and criterium events," he says. 

Liolios offers some advice for other athletes interested in participating.

Diet and nutrition: "As far as diet goes, my wife and I are more of the exception than the rule," he says. "We have been vegetarians for 52 years, so we always eat healthy.  For me I drink water, no pop or alcohol (never liked the taste) and I have a protein recovery drink every day." 

Establish goals: "When setting goals write them down and only share them with those people that can help you achieve them," Liolios says. 

Routines matter: "Get into a routine and try your very best to stick to it," says Liolios. "I actually have an old fashioned weekly/monthly planner with the details of my training written down. I have a planner on my computer that mirrors my written copy, but for me writing it down makes it real." 

Just do it : "If you want to try the sport, go and watch a local bike race and meet up and join a local cycling club that gives guidance and encouragement," Liolios says. 

Not unlike the devoted time it takes for the athletes to train, it also takes years of planning and dedication to host the games. Cleveland won the bid to host the Games in 2017 and began working in earnest in 2022 to host the 2024 Games. Rachael Stentz-Baugher, executive director of the Pan-American Masters Game and senior vice president at the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission, says, "We used our staff of 15 plus 35 temporary staff to run the Games, in addition to 1,000 volunteers." 

"We had just under 4,000 athletes competing from 48 states and 78 countries," she continues. "The oldest athlete was 98 years old from New Zealand. His name is Allan Martin, and he competed in the 100-yard dash and the shotput. 

Fifty-eight percent of athletes were male, 41% were female, one percent "X", says Stentz-Baugher. Most of the athletes, 18%, were in the 60-64 age range, with 2% in the 80-plus age range. 

Anyone over the age of 30 can compete, she says, and there are no qualifications necessary (although some of the specific sports do have age category qualifications) for athletic skills or levels. That's the beauty of these games. 

Each city has complete control over what sports are offered, Stentz-Baugher says. "Often it includes the basic major sports of the world plus some that are geographically relevant based on venues, resources [and] local interest." 

The next Games will be held in Taipei, May 17-30, 2025, and 30 sports will be included, including everything from archery to sailing to tennis to golf to tug-of-war. Registration is open until Feb. 17, 2025.

Laurie Bain Wilson's work has appeared in Real Simple, Working Mother, OpenTable, Travel Channel, CNNTravel, Eat This, Chowhound, Parents, Salon, Wine Enthusiast, VinePair, New York Times and longtime correspondent at The Boston Globe. https://muckrack.com/laurieheather Read More