14 -_OlTl‘1 july 2001

Local Les

BY EUAN BEAR

Any softball dykes who
might think their athletic
careers are over after age 40
should think again. Think
about Alverta Perkins and Fran
Moravcisk, both of whom
recently medaled in the Green
Mountain Senior Games. Al
(as she prefers to be called)
competes in the 75-79 age
group and earned 4 medals at
last month’s meet — one each in
the 100 meter run, shot put,
discus, and javelin. Al’s time of

28.4 seconds in the 100 meters ‘

represented a new personal
best, taking more than 3 sec-
onds off her previous personal
record.

Fran also medaled in her age
group (65-69) in shotput, dis-
cus, and the l-mile precision
walk on one of the hottest days
so far this summer.

“I love it,” Al said in an
interview shortly before the
meet. “I wish more people
would come out” to compete.
“In a way it’s political to me, in
that, if I can do it — and I’ve
never been an athlete, never
played softball — then others
can do it.” Because she has

bians Compete in Seniorfiames

taken first places in four
events, Al continues, “people
might think I’m good, and I’m
not. But the point is, I’m out
here doing it.”

Fran, who was participating
in her fourth senior games
meet, said she did not have an
athletic background, either. “I
was not a talented athlete when
young, lacking grace, flexibili-
ty, and hand/eye coordination.
Also unlike most lesbians I did
not care for gym teachers, who
seemed to me like unsympa-
thetic marine drill sergeants.
However, I enjoyed hiking,
canoeing, cross country skiing,
and such, and played informal
team sports when available for
social reasons and the joy of
just running about like a
Laborador with a- stick.” Her
previous competitions included
the Indoor Nationals in Boston
last March.

Both Fran and Alremarked
on the spirit of encouragement
and cooperation that prevailed
at the meets they’ve attended.
‘‘There’s a nice spirit of con-
nectedness, rather than cut-
throat competition, said Al.
“But there are always a few at
the bigger regional meets who
really want to win at any cost.

RVMK North Profsionals

www.condoguy.com

  

(802) 655-3333 EXT. 17
(800) 639-4520 EXT. l7

 

 

“If I hadn't known it costs just $299/"pair
v. hen I first heard it, I would have estimated
its price was at least twice that.
.. che Aegis One is

an ESEOH

_ishing value. Highly recommended.‘

john Atkinson Stereophile May 2000

soundlessentials

Looking for affordable
speakers?The.Aegis One is
ready & willingto take on
all chal|engers.There is
simply-no other speaker
in its price range that can
match the crisp, clear,
natural sound of the Aegis
One. Bottom line,‘ the
Aegis One sounds like
live music, not a speaker

Sale $269.88/pair

  

B c  l".'sT“'K‘.f'§'l‘.'” <1. iii: ‘=   99059

high perfomiamct-. horns: theatre .1. uutlio systems  

On the web.@ wx/vw.sounclessentaalsx/t.com - The ‘v‘\/i'ng Building

 Steele St.

Fri I2-8 Sat IO-8 Sun l2-6

ii lO8 ' Burlii‘:g‘toi'l - 863.627l - l-lours:Tues -=l-8

Mon. ‘Ned, Thu by /\.ppoii'ltment

Located along the hike & bi/<e pm, next to the King St. F€I‘ry Dock.

 

W audio esearcli .

At my first meet about a year
ago I got plenty of help from
the other competitors. And my
daughter and son came to see
me compete. They said, ‘Well
mom, you always came to our
meets.’”

“I do not particularly like
competition, but it gives focus
and purpose to these events,”
Fran commented. “The other
participants are helpful. The
competition is an internal fac-
tor that we all recognize is
there, but the social part of the
event is more festive and
encouraging. The more the
merrier. So far, there have
always been three people or
more in my age group.who are
better than I am, so I don’t
compete for cheap glory. They
have been helpful to me, giving
encouragement and tips on
technique.”

There are some modifica-

tions instyle and technique
from the classic Olympic
forms. Al says she puts the shot
from “the power position,” a
wide, balanced stance with
knees slightly bent, rather than
using either a glide step or an
uncoiling , power spin.
Likewise, the equipment has
been adapted. “The shot for
older women is 3 kg (6.6 lbs),
while it is 4 kg (8.8 lbs) for
younger ones,” reports Fran.
“The older women usually do
not use the spin or glide tech-
niques, but they could if they
wanted to and found it worked
better. There are age-graded

...____...______._...._...
Noxmwisnaxu MEDICAL CENTER

Dr. Mara Vijups
Dr. Erin Rhoades

NMC RURAL HEALTH SERVICES
Specializing in Family Practice
Caring for patients of all ages

5 W A N T 0 N
868-2454

A L B U R G .
797-4414

ENOSBURG
933-5831.

tables to compare distances
thrown by people in different
age groups. At age 67 my best
in" the shot would be expected
to be half the distance of a
comparable athlete at her
peak.” ’

Fran says she’s managed to
connect withother lesbians

_through the Senior Games.

“The people I recognized at the
first meet were fellow lesbians,
and my connection to these
people has strengthened
through this common interest. I
imagine that there is a higher
percent of lesbians in the ath-
letic community than in the
world at large, but it does not
seem to be a situation where
they make an effort to identify
themselves to others. Try the
Gay Games for that.”

“I’m sure I’ve met other
dykes competing — there’s at
least 2 others here in Vermont,
and probably more,” says Al,

“but I don’t know who they

are.” There are_ also staunch
conservatives among the com-
petitors, she and Fran agree.
“One woman I train with,” Al
reports, “insists that I must be
straight, I can’t be a dyke,
because I don’t have an inti-
mate partner right now. I just
laugh.” Fran says there’s a
woman in her age group who
usually beats her best distances

—in training. “I know that Flo

will be ahead of me in my age
group, and she is not a lesbian;
she is Take Back Vermont.”
Franitakes the competition a
bitlmore seriously than Al —
she has recently hired a person-
al coach for the shot put.
Besides the technique practice
in the event, “I do some aero-
bic work like running, biking,
kayaking orpower walk, some
weight workouts, and some
agility/mobility drills. I also
take Barb Jordan’s exercise
class for older (average age 71)

    

   mulls

shot put 19.1 feet
discus 51.5 feet

ing her time.

 (persc,riali.best) '4

iaveiin27.i  iee't  

discus   

‘7Fran ?Moravcisk, 65-69 age igrioupz,

1-mile precision walk: medal for exactly estimat

folkithree times a week, but I
would do that anyway. I may
take some time off, but with
the indoor as well as outdoor
season the training pretty much
going to be all year.” I
But there’s something to be
said for any level of participa-
tion by anyone over age 50.
“There’s the health benefit, and
a kind of psychological
strengthening — ‘Hey, I can
throw this, I’m stronger than I
thought.’ At the Dartmouth
[indoor] meet, an old woman

' was keeping score for the long

jump. Ijumped not very well,
about 4 feet I think, and she
said, ‘I wish I could do that.’
So I felt better about my
measly 4-foot jump. But I
wanted to say to her, ‘Well,
lady, you could —just do it?”

Fran says that she competes.

because, “I want to see what I
am capable of, and I enjoy
achieving a goal. I like to stay
in shape and feel fit, and it is
nice to find a place where the
sturdy shaped woman is con-
sidered ideal.”

Encouraging other women
over 50 to train and compete,
Fran continues, “I have heard
many older lesbians say that if
there had been sports for

women in their day, they would _

have gotten a full scholarship
to college, no problem. Well,
here is your chance to show the
world what it missed out on. If
your aim isjust to get in shape,
a competitive sport gives you
some focus and a chance to
show what you have achieved.

It need not be track and field, -
because they also have tennis,

horseshoes, Frisbee, whatever
in these games. This is a place
where you can be as butch as
you want, and get glory‘ for it.
Or show that femmes aren’t all
fluff. Or, if you haveinothing to
prove, just have a fun field day.

     

P