Red Bank and Hixson recently became the homes of two state Hall of Famers.
Ninety-six-year-old Warren Barger, of Red Bank, and 90-year-old Charlie Baker, of Hixson, were inducted into the Tennessee Senior Olympics Hall of Fame earlier this month. The pair traveled to Franklin, Tenn., for the induction ceremony, and were part of the inaugural class for the hall.
Both Barger and Baker have been participating in the Senior Olympics at the state and national levels for more than 20 years. In June, they traveled to Birmingham, Ala., for this year’s National Senior Olympic Games.
Barger competed in the long jump, high jump, discus, shot put and several categories of badminton, while Baker ran several sprints in track and field, as well as competed in javelin and discus.
Senior Olympics
Competing in the Senior Olympics starts at the local level. Chattanooga has a district for regional competition, and those winners can go on to compete at the state level. Winners there then get the opportunity to compete at the National Senior Games, which are held every other year.Competition is divided into men’s and women’s categories, as well as by age group. There are nearly 20 sports to choose from, including badminton, shuffleboard, archery and numerous track and field events.The Chattanooga District’s next series of events will be Oct. 14-31 of this year.For more information, visit the Chattanooga District’s website at tnseniorolympics.com/chattanooga-district, or call 240-1508.