On Aug. 19, Bedford’s Arlene Dupuis was was bedecked by the end of the day with gold medals, silver medals and two third-place bronze medals, suspended individually from silky red, white and blue ribbons.

The honors recognized her performances in seven track and field events, hosted that day by Granite State Senior Games Inc. during its 25th anniversary sports competition.

Dupuis, who has been competing in the senior games since 1995, performed superbly in the 50-meter dash (silver medal), the long-jump event (gold), the triple-jump event (gold) and the high jump (gold). Then, she competed in the shot put throw (bronze), the discus throw (bronze) and the javelin event (silver medal).

“I’ve always loved running and jumping,” said Dupuis, a lifelong New Hampshire resident and retired Bedford lawyer. “When I was a kid, I would always run rather than walk. Today, I really don’t even have time to train, but I still do my favorite events at the games, just because it’s so much fun.”

Her opponents were other women in her age group, 70-74. About 400 male and female athletes took part in this year’s Granite State Senior Games, held at a variety of venues, including racquetball clubs, tennis facilities and the swimming pool at the Goffstown Allard Center YMCA.

The multi-sport, monthlong competition for adults traditionally is hosted during August by the Granite State Senior Games Inc., a nonprofit group dedicated to fitness, fun and friendship. This year’s track and field events were held on the spacious athletic field alongside Manchester Memorial High School.

Attendees from many states gathered to partake in their favorite events. Those who snagged gold, silver or bronze won the right to participate at the National Summer Senior Games, to be held next summer in Cleveland, Ohio.

Nationals are held every two years in major cities across the U.S. The previous gathering, in Houston, Texas, drew some 12,000 athletes from almost every state. The next nationals, in Cleveland, will be held at the same time Dupuis and her husband, Euclid, will be celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. She said they may opt to forgo being out of town at that time.

Dupuis said she often tells people about the senior games and the sense of camaraderie generated from meeting new people and making new friends. She hopes to entice some newcomers, perhaps friends from the Bedford Women’s Club or other acquaintances, to next August’s games.

“I’ve met so many people and made some good friends through the games,” she said. “You don’t have to be a heavy-duty athlete to participate in the senior games. You just show up and do your best. There’s always someone who will help you or teach you the fine points of whatever sport you choose. And with 18 sports, there’s bound to be something you like.”

For more information on the 2012 Granite State Senior Games, visit NH
SeniorGames.org.