PITTSBORO — Despite the protests and appeals of Chatham County Sheriff Mike Roberson, a version of “Red Rover” that involves the passing of a television remote control will not be entering the Chatham County Senior Games lineup anytime soon.
Roberson and WNCN CBS-17 meteorologist Wes Hohenstein were two of the characters who presided over an entertaining and lively opening ceremony for the 2023 Chatham County Senior Games on Friday morning at the Eastern Chatham Senior Center in Pittsboro.
As a record 315 participants stand at the ready to take part in the Games — which run through May 11 — Friday’s opening ceremonies were a celebration of newcomers and veterans alike. Once the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office honor guard presented the nation’s colors, Christine DeGraffenreidt, the oldest Senior Games competitor at 97 years of age, handed off the torch to Kathryn Walters, 50, the youngest to take part in the 2023 Senior Games.
Of those 315 participants, a total of 128 are participating for the first time in 2023. While Roberson doesn’t count himself among the athletes, that doesn’t mean he lacks eligibility.
“I had some news today that I might actually be a senior!” he said. “I thought AARP just had the wrong address! One thing about seniors though is that we have to have an abundance of humor, right? If not, we cry all the time. I know you’re old when you get hurt sleeping!”
Hohenstein, a native of St. Louis with roughly 20 years of North Carolina experience, is still shy of the “50 or better” threshold needed to compete in Senior Games. However, the aging process avoids no one, and Hohenstein is no exception.
“When I started (in North Carolina) 20 years ago, we didn’t look the way we look now,” Hohenstein recalled. “I did not have any gray hair 20 years ago. And for someone that stands in front of a weather map with clouds on it, it’s really hard to tell where my gray hair ends and the clouds begin. I’m literally disappearing on TV every day because my hair keeps getting grayer. And the forecast is getting cloudier and cloudier every day. I have not turned to any artificial hair coloring products yet because my thought is this is not gray, it’s silver. It’s valuable!”
The crowd of over 150 was energized by the performance of the “Chatham Charmers,” a participant-led cheerleading crew out of the Eastern Chatham Senior Center. Chatham County Commissioner Katie Kenlan gave a brief historical overview of the Council on Aging — in the midst of its 48th year — and welcomed it into the family of departments within Chatham County as of July 1, 2023.
Yet her personal Senior Games participation is still some ways off.
“Maybe in a couple of decades, I can participate,” Kenlan said of Senior Games participation. “I’m looking forward to that. I am truly thankful to be a part of this county. That’s why I wanted to come here and welcome you all to this fun day. We’ve come a long way since 1974, and I look forward to the advancements and improvements to come and to support those. I encourage you to help each other over the finish line.”
Through Senior Games and SilverArts, participants find their athletic and artistic voices, keeping the thoughts of aging at bay through the rigors of activity and competition.
“Many of you are older than (myself), but your mind may not feel like that,” Hohenstein said. “We all feel young at heart and young in mind.”