With more than 2,000 athletes registered to compete in the 2022 Florida Senior Games, presented by Humana, there’s a lot of numbers derived from the athlete database. Here’s some interesting facts found about Florida’s Finest Amateur Athletes, age 50 and over, who will be in action in Florida’s Sports Coast, December 3-11.
2,035 – Athletes registered as of November 22 for the 2022 Florida Senior Games, presented by Humana, for events between December 3 through 11.
2,350 – Total athletes for the 2022 Florida Senior Games, including 315 softball players, who were on the field in Leesburg, on September 24. The 2,350 athletes are the most since 2018.
15 – Athletes age 90 or over that will compete in the 2022 Florida Senior Games. A salute to the nonagenerians!
Dorothy Rheinhardt, 90, The Villages, Track & Field
Donald Taylor, 90, Temple Terrace, Pickleball, Tennis
Jack Cason, 90, St Petersburg, Archery
Robert Johnson, 90, Bradenton, Table Tennis
Sue Tobias, 90, Ocala, Table Tennis
Morton Rosenblum, 91, Edgewater, Archery
James Seidule, 91, The Villages, Tennis
John Hurd, 91, Navarre, Track & Field
Roger Hauge, 91, Venice, Track & Field
Joan Campbell, 92, Palm Harbor, Swimming
Richard Cheney, 93, Winter Haven, Golf
Freddie Taylor, 93, Inkster, MI, Track & Field
Suat Akgun, 94, Pompano Beach, Track & Field
Donald Strohler, 94, Dunedin, Bowling
Harry Clark, 96, Lady Lake, Tennis
96 – The age of the most experienced athlete at the 2022 Florida Senior Games, Tennis player, Harry Clark, of Lady Lake, who was born in June of 1926
428 – Pickleball players on the court at Sarah Vande Berg Tennis and Wellness Center, the most in the history of the Florida Senior Games.
242 – Pickleball Doubles teams on the court at Sarah Vande Berg Tennis and Wellness Center (70 women’s doubles, 84 men’s doubles, 88 mixed doubles).
24 – Pickleball teams in the Mixed Doubles 55-59 age group. The most of any doubles age groups.
36 – Number of states represented at the 2022 Florida Senior Games, including athletes from Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands and Canada
84 – Pasco County athletes competing in their own backyard at the 2022 Florida Senior Games.
24 – Volleyball teams at the net, the most in the history of the Florida Senior Games (15 women, 9 men’s teams). The 181 total number of players is also a Florida Senior Games all-time high.
17 – Former Athletes of the Year competing in the 2022 Florida Senior Games. The list dates between the 2002 and 2021 Games.
Sandra Garner, 2020, Daytona Beach
Gabriel Wong, 2020, Ponte Vedra Beach
Peggy Peck, 2019, The Villages
Deb Harrison, 2018, The Villages
Brian Hankerson, 2018, Hollywood
Carol Teel, 2017, The Villages
Mike Welter, 2017, Cape Coral
Kathy Petrillo, 2016, Jupiter
Rudy Vazmina, 2015, Sarasota
Danuta Kubelik, 2014, Crystal River
Essie Faria, 2011, Melbourne
Avis Vaught, 2010, The Villages
John Shultz, 2009, Sarasota
Claudette Braswell, 2007, Ocala
Harry Carothers, 2004, Pinellas Park
Madelaine “Tiny” Cazel, 2003, The Villages
Janice Lathouwers, 2002, The Villages
55th and 56th – Athletes of the Year to be recognized at the 2022 Florida Senior Games. Andrea Collier, a track and field athlete from Orlando, and Tobias Kaye, a pickleball and racquetball player, from Delray Beach, will receive their awards during the second weekend of competition.
98,000 – square feet in the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County, for Florida Senior Games athletes, that includes 70,000 square feet of total clear span hardwood surface, volleyball courts, basketball courts, a dedicated cheer area and soccer fields.
23 – Courts at the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis and Wellness Center. Florida Senior Games athletes will play on 11 tennis courts, eight pickleball courts and four padel courts.
Follow the Florida Senior Games, presented by Humana, with results, articles and photos at this site or follow the Games on Facebook at www.facebook.com/floridaseniorgames.