Nick Gandy, 2025 Florida Senior Games,
Athletes representing five decades of life delivered inspiring performances Sunday during the 34th Annual Florida Senior Games, held in Florida’s Sports Coast/Pasco County. Competitors ranged in age from 50 to 96, showcasing remarkable endurance, determination, and a lifelong commitment to fitness.
Below is a snapshot of standout achievements from Day Two of the nine-day event.
Cycling
Karla Antonio, of Stuart, captured two gold medals in the Cycling Time Trials, posting the top overall women’s times in both the 5K and 10K events. She set a new 10K record with a time of 13:55, surpassing the previous mark by 12 seconds. Antonio also secured the 55–59 age-group 5K gold with a time of 6:59. She already holds both 5K and 10K records in the 50–54 age division.
“I just started cycling four or five years ago,” Antonio shared. “I was a competitive runner for 40 years, from age 13 through high school and college at Drake University, until injuries forced me to stop.”
Earlier this year, Antonio won three golds at the 2025 National Senior Games. She is set to compete in the 20K Road Race next Sunday.
Also in cycling, Baerbel Bartyczak made history as the first athlete in the 90–94 division to compete in the Cycling Time Trials. She earned two gold medals and set inaugural age-group records with times of 14:04 (5K) and 28:42 (10K).
Swimming
Michael Aubrey, of Wilton Manors, completed an impressive sweep, winning five gold medals in five events in the 60–64 age group. Over two days at the Temple Terrace Aquatic Center, Aubrey claimed first place in the 50- and 100-yard butterfly, as well as the 50-, 100-, and 200-yard breaststroke.
“I was swimming just for fun today,” Aubrey said. “I’ll be 65 next year and can start setting records in that age group.”
Aubrey currently holds 10 age-group swimming records in the 55–59 and 60–64 divisions, including all three breaststroke distances.
Volleyball
Avis Vaught began her two weekends of competition playing for the “Just for Fun” Volleyball team in the 65–69 age group, although she typically competes in the 75–79 division. The team—comprised entirely of deaf athletes—earned the silver medal.
The idea for forming the team began after the 2023 Florida Senior Games Softball Championships, when members of the Deaf Divas softball team expressed interest in trying a new sport.
“A couple of those team members contacted me about playing another sport, so I suggested volleyball,” Vaught said. “After today, they all said they wanted to come back. I told them if that’s the case, we need to practice more.”
Vaught, the 2010 Florida Senior Games Female Athlete of the Year, continues to be one of the state’s most active senior competitors. Her 2025 schedule includes The Villages Senior Games in April, the National Senior Games in July, the Huntsman World Games in October, several softball tournaments, and service as Sport Director for the Florida Senior Games Softball Championships in September.
Table Tennis
Known as the Iron Horse of the Florida Senior Games—a nod to Lou Gehrig—John Shultz, of Sarasota, extended his legendary streak by earning medals for the 33rd consecutive year. At The Long Center, he won gold in both men’s singles and men’s doubles in the 85–89 age group.
Shultz, the 2009 Florida Senior Games Male Athlete of the Year, is documented as medaling every year since 1993, the longest streak in Games history. Between singles and doubles competition, he has earned 39 gold medals, including 20 in men’s singles. He also medaled at the 2025 National Senior Games.
In the 90–94 age group, Deane Chickering, of The Villages, won the men’s singles gold and partnered with Shultz to take the men’s doubles title in the 85–89 division. Their doubles victory marks the pair’s 13th gold medal together since 2008.
“Playing table tennis keeps me up and moving and has kept me alive for 91 years,” Chickering said.
Competition Continues
More than 650 athletes competed over the weekend in nine sports. Events continue Monday, March 8, with:
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Golf – Plantation Palms Golf Course, Wesley Chapel, 8:30 a.m. shotgun start
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Tennis (Men’s and Women’s Doubles) – Saddlebrook Resort, first match at 10:00 a.m.
A total of 1,618 athletes are registered to compete from December 6–14. Since its debut in 1992, the Florida Senior Games have hosted 66,352 athletes.
The Florida Senior Games are an annual program of the Florida Sports Foundation, the state’s official sports promotion and development organization, presented in partnership with Florida’s Sports Coast.
