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Arts & Culture

Age Of Champions

Promotional photo of senior athletes featured in "Age Of Champions." Follow competitors who sprint, leap and swim for gold at the National Senior Olympics.
Courtesy of PBS
Promotional photo of senior athletes featured in "Age Of Champions." Follow competitors who sprint, leap and swim for gold at the National Senior Olympics.

Airs Wednesday, August 7, 2013 at 11 p.m. on KPBS TV

Adolph Hoffman, 86-year-old pole vaulter, in action.
Courtesy of PBS
Adolph Hoffman, 86-year-old pole vaulter, in action.
The Tigerettes, 65+ basketball champions.
Courtesy of PBS
The Tigerettes, 65+ basketball champions.
John and Bradford Tatum, 88- and 90-year-old swimmers.
Courtesy of PBS
John and Bradford Tatum, 88- and 90-year-old swimmers.
Roger Gentilhomme, 100-year-old tennis champion.
Courtesy of PBS
Roger Gentilhomme, 100-year-old tennis champion.

In this award-winning documentary, follow five competitors who sprint, leap and swim for gold at the National Senior Olympics.

Meet a 100-year-old tennis champion, an 86-year-old pole vaulter and rough-and-tumble basketball grandmothers as they discover the power of the human spirit and triumph over the limitations of age.

"We're ordinary grandmothers and people cannot believe that we play basketball. Our record is 165 and 3, and we're going for our number 6 gold medal, and we feel like we're the greatest senior women's basketball team in the United States." -Mavis Albin, The Tigerettes

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"They're not gonna lay down and say, 'OK, Tigerettes, you're gonna win.' You're gonna really have to play rough to win, 'cause we gonna rough you up. They do. I know that. So I gotta stay at the top of my game." -Nikki Leader, The Tigerettes

When one athlete loses a spouse and another is diagnosed with cancer, they have to dig even deeper to make their Olympic dreams come true.

The Washington Post called the film "infectiously inspiring" and theater audiences across the country have fallen in love with its light-hearted take on growing older. It’s a powerful story to share with the whole family and get inspired to be healthier, happier, and more active.

The PBS broadcast will coincide with the 2013 Senior Olympics, which will be held in Cleveland, Ohio July 19th - August 1st.

The filmmakers have partnered with the AARP, Alzheimer’s Association, and National Institute on Aging to encourage viewers to share the film and lead a discussion about healthy aging with their friends, families, and communities.

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DVD copies of this film are available at ageofchampions.org. National Senior Games is on Facebook, and you can follow @SeniorGames1 on Twitter.

Age Of Champions Trailer
Meet The Filmmakers: Age Of Champions