Two local seniors honored with state Hall of Fame induction

Warren Barger of Red Bank accepts his nomination for the Tennessee Senior Olympics Hall of Fame earlier this month.
Warren Barger of Red Bank accepts his nomination for the Tennessee Senior Olympics Hall of Fame earlier this month.

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.

photo Charlie Baker from Hixson is nominated for the Tennessee Senior Olympics Hall of Fame for his decades of competition and contribution to the games.

Neither man had competed in track and field events prior to their involvement in the Senior Olympics in the early 1990s, they said. The Senior Olympics started in Tennessee in the late 1980s.

"I learned all of those events as a senior," said Barger. "I didn't even know how to throw a discus or shot put."

He said he also used to compete in volleyball and softball at the Senior Olympics, but he had to cut down on running after developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD. Even at the age of 96 and with a chronic lung condition, though, he manages to stay active and fit enough to compete.

At the national games, Barger said he won two silver medals and five gold medals in badminton, high jump and shot put. Baker said he won three bronze medals and two silver medals in several track races, and had a shot at the gold during the 200-meter race, but his knee gave out about halfway through, taking him out of the race.

Beyond bringing home the gold, Barger said he set a national record in his age group for the high jump at nearly 3 feet, beating the prior record by several inches.

Retirement has provided both men with opportunities to stay active and healthy.

"I run almost every day down at the track at Hixson High School, except on Sundays," said Baker, although he admitted he is under doctor's orders to take it easy until his knee heals. "Once you're out of shape, it's awful hard to get back in shape. I try to get as much out of what I do as I can."

Barger, meanwhile, attributes his good health to always having a full "bucket list," although he views it a bit differently than most. Rather than putting something like zip-lining on it, his "bucket list" is full of items like finishing the laundry on time, helping a friend go grocery shopping and attending Red Bank Baptist Church's weekly prayer meetings.

"I wake up every day with a lot of things to do," said Barger. "I don't give myself time to sit around and feel sorry for myself. People ask me how I'm able to do all these things and I tell them I don't really know; I just never stopped."

Both men are World War II veterans and have lived in their respective communities for about 50 years.

Barger said he hopes his story will encourage more seniors to get active and participate in the Senior Olympic Games.

"I've gotten to meet a wide circle of friends that are all fellow Olympians," he said. "I get to see them every year at the state competition. It's a competition, but it's also a family. I can't recommend it enough."

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