Fairfax County again leads the region in the number of participants in the Northern Virginia Senior Olympics.
Those competitors are among a record contingent of 1,200 taking part in the 2025 event, which runs Sept. 13-Oct. 1 at venues across the region.
“Win or lose, we hope that each competitor has an enjoyable experience,” said Rod Hupp of Falls Church, who chairs the organizing committee.
He spoke at opening ceremonies, held at Thomas Jefferson Community Center in Arlington.
Starting with fewer than 100 competitors at its inaugural 1982 event, the local Senior Olympics grew steadily until the pandemic derailed it in 2020. After a comeback with mostly outdoor events in 2021, the competition has rebounded with successive waves of record participation.
The 2025 registration outpaced 2024 by 16%, organizers said. Many are repeat participants, having competed for years, said organization chair Rod Hupp.
“Most of them, once they get in, they’re in until they move away or can’t do it any more,” Hupp told FFXnow.
With a fee of just $20 giving participants to all competitions they desire, it is “the best investment in town” in senior well-being, he said.
The Fairfax County Department of Neighborhood and Community Services and Fairfax County Park Authority are among the sponsoring agencies for the competition. Fairfax County venues will host competition ranging from tennis, golf and diving to crossword puzzling and line dancing.
Given its population advantage, Fairfax typically has the largest turnout for the competition. This year, Arlington came second.
“We’re going to catch Fairfax eventually,” promised Jennifer Collins, who heads the Arlington Department of Parks and Recreation’s Office of 55+ Programs.
Participants this year are 53% male and 47% female. Ages range from 50 to 101, with the two centenarians competing in Wii bowling, canasta and Mah Jongg.
The 2025 competition includes two new events — 50-yard butterfly swimming and Texas Hold’em poker — plus the return of duplicate bridge after an absence of several years.
Given the honor of carrying the torch that helped kick off events was Janet Garber. She spent 15 years on the organization’s board, with jobs ranging from event coordinator up to chair.
Garber said the best part of the event is seeing “how incredible seniors can be in competition — how they look forward to it, they train for it.”
In a surprise, longtime organization volunteer Herb Levitan was honored as the inaugural inductee into the Northern Virginia Senior Olympics Hall of Fame.
Hupp noted Levitan’s “tireless commitment to the overall success of the program” both as a competitor and in leadership roles.
Board chair Hupp not only leads the organization, he is a veteran competitor. Last year, he entered 22 events and won 18 overall medals, including 13 golds.
“I was suffering from combat fatigue at the end, but it was fun,” Hupp said.
The Senior Olympics is open each year to residents of Arlington, Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudoun and Prince William counties and the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax and Falls Church.
Sponsorships from businesses catering to seniors help fund much of the program and were up this year, said Judy Massabny, a staff member of Arlington’s Office of 55+ Programs who helps coordinate the program.
Competition will run through Oct. 1, wrapping up in Arlington with men’s singles pickleball competition. All told, 92 events are slated to take place at 30 locations under the banner “Living Healthy Longer.”
