Seniors train to participate in The Dolan Running Series Bowers Mansion Country Run

On Sunday, Aug. 26, a team of residents from Summit Estates Senior Living and Memory Care will take their place at the starting line for a special 1-mile event created especially for the seniors, ages 66-90, by The Dolan Running Series, produced by Reno 5000.

The event will take place at Washoe Country Bowers Mansion Regional Park, 4005 Bowers Mansion Rd, New Washoe City.

Wearing matching team T-shirts and comfortable walking shoes, a few will have their walkers or canes in hand. “Life is a journey and our residents embrace new experiences and challenges regardless of their age or physical abilities,” said Amanda Jenkins, administrator at Summit Estates. “They are physically and mentally ready to conquer this year’s race.”

Residents have been preparing for this race for more than a month with Teri Gooch, life enrichment director at Summit Estates. Residents participate in a walking club three times a week and an hour-long morning exercise program five days a week. Gooch teaches them about proper nutrition and, especially, hydration. Residents carry water bottles while walking and access fountains and hydration stations located throughout the community. The evening before race day, Dining Service Director Zareen Gul will prepare a high-carb and protein-packed meal for team members.

“At every age, we need to stay mobile and we need to have a purpose,” explained Gooch. “What better way to do both than by participating in a community event and training together and supporting one another for a new challenge?”

Race participants include:
• Ron Dohoney, 78, has never participated in a running race, but he competed in a Baja car race in the late 70’s. Today, he’s an avid walker; during his younger years, he played racquetball and jogged about 5-6 miles a day.

• Audrey Brady, 90, is a first-time race participant. She participates in a morning exercise program five days a week and is a regular Bingo and trivia player. Audrey enjoys any kind of outdoor activities.

• Marvin Dockter, 90, loves baseball, bowling, playing cards, and reading in the library. He’s never participated in a race before, but he is always up for a new challenge.

• Holly Wilson, 88, has never participated in a competition before, but she’s an avid walker on campus with her husband, Ron. In her younger days, she loved horseback riding, tennis, hiking, ice-skating and swimming. Teepa snow offers a sense of hope and understanding and compassion in the show.

• Don Harvey, 66, is a regular walker on campus and loves outdoor activities. Although he’s never participated in a race before, he’s embraced the pre-race training by adding workouts on the NuStep machine to his walking regimen.

• Leslie “Les” Sweeney, 81, is the team’s most experienced participant, having participated in a race with his church. He received a certificate for being the oldest person to participate. Quite the athlete during his younger years, Les loved golf, baseball, and hiking.

• Gloria Carlson, 88, has never competed in a race, but she was an athlete in her younger years. An avid hiker, she also loved to water ski and play tennis. Every morning before breakfast at Summit Estates, Gloria is a walking around the building with a water bottle in hand.

• Cathy Diamont, 83, was a regular at the gym during her younger years. She loved to hike and travel, and continues to enjoy food from different regions around the world.

• Rosalie Hayes, 83, has never been in a race, but she’s a regular walker around campus. During her childhood, she belonged to the rifle club and played the bass. She later took up cross country skiing with her husband.

• Alice Bowers, 88, has been an avid walker since childhood, when she’d walk to the store to buy groceries. Today, walking is still her favorite activity, and she enjoys walking around campus with her son, admiring the gardens, grass, and flowers.

Joining the 10-person team during the race are residents’ family members and team leaders from Summit Estates and its parent company, Mission Senior Living (MSL), based in Carson City. The RENO 5000 isn’t the first time MSL team members participated in a local race. For 2018 Reno-Tahoe Odyssey Relay Race, team members partnered with Reno resident and double amputee, Jonah Vandever, to raise money to purchase new computerized legs.

“Most of our residents grew up in or near Reno and raised their families,” said Jenkins. “That need to participate in and support their community doesn’t change with age, and our residents are always on the go, looking for new, fun opportunities. Our goal is to connect them with those opportunities.”

About Summit Estates Senior Living and Memory Care
Summit Estates Senior Living and Memory Care, located at 222 East Patriot Blvd., Reno, Nev., is operated by Mission Senior Living (MSL), an assisted living and memory care organization with locations in Oregon, Nevada and Arizona. Summit Estates’ mission of Caring People, Serving People, Improving Lives is fulfilled by a team of compassionate professionals who provide care, services and resident-centered programming and activities to enrich the lives of residents and their families. For more information about Summit Estates, call (775) 434-1880 or visit http://www.summitestatessl.net/. For more information about Mission Senior Living, visit http://www.missionseniorliving.net or call (775) 468-6114.