This 91-year-old is still crushing it at the Senior Games
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David "Dave" Hostetler Sr. (center) was born in Charlotte. He'll turn 92 in July. Photo: Courtesy of Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation
Ninety-one-year-old David "Dave" Hostetler Sr. has been competing in the Senior Games since 2009, and he doesn't plan to stop, he tells Axios.
Why it matters: The annual nationwide competition keeps people active and provides a way to make new friends, which has become even harder for many post-pandemic.
How it works: The Olympic-style competition for people ages 50-and-up runs from March to May this year. In Charlotte, it's called the 2026 Mecklenburg County Senior Games and SilverArts.
- The games include more than 50 individual and team sports, plus arts events. Athletic events range from track and field and swimming to bocce and pickleball. Arts events range from performing arts and heritage arts (like basketweaving and knitting) to literary arts and visual arts.
Zoom in: Hostetler, who was born in Charlotte and now lives in Mount Holly, heard about the games years ago at a dance in Gastonia. He has gone on to qualify for nationals every time he has competed. He has won a gold medal in billiards.
- Other events Hostetler has competed in include corn hole, pickleball, bocce, track and field events (50-meter dash, high jump, discus, hammer and 25lb superweight) and other events, he says.
- Hostetler has even had a chance to compete in the games with his 55-year-old daughter, Kami McGuire, and his 58-year-old son, David Hostetler Jr.
What they're saying: "You have to stay off the couch, and you have to go and practice games and do some exercise and eat your vegetables," Hostetler says he tells people about the games.
- "You make so many friends," Hostetler says. "Friends keep you coming back."
By the numbers: Registration for Mecklenburg County residents is $20 online and $25 by paper, and $23 online and $28 by paper for non-county residents through Jan. 23.
- Standard Registration then runs through Feb. 20. It's $30 online and $35 by paper for county residents and $33 online and $38 by paper for nonresidents. Scholarships are also available for the games — call 980-314-1328, visit the Senior Games and SilverArts website or email [email protected] for scholarship details.
The big picture: If you qualify at the games this spring, you will be able to compete in the North Carolina Senior Games and SilverArts State Finals in the fall of 2026. You could even go on to the national games, which will be in 2027.
Learn about volunteer opportunities with Senior Games and SilverArts here.