Coasters Bob Mackie and Louise Parker square danced up a storm, winning a bronze medal at the annual Huntsman World Senior Games at St. George, Utah last week.
The Huntsman World Senior Games is the largest event of its kind in the world with more than 10,000 athletes participating in 27 different sports, plus the St. George Marathon.
"There were many Canadian softball players, but we were the only Canadian dancers in the fabulous SunRiver ballroom," said Parker. "The national square dance callers provide fast-paced and challenging choreography, as well as lots of singing calls using modern music. There is always lots of laughter in the squares. We also danced to a variety of ballroom rhythms choreographed by expert cuers."
The duo now has three silver and three bronze medals each, but according to Parker, it's the fitness, friends and fun that keep them coming back each year.
"The Huntsman Cancer Foundation also provides free health testing for all athletes at the Games, and in return, the medical staff get a lot of data about aging athletes for their cancer research," Parker said. "We'll get the results of the carotid artery ultrasound in our email soon. We get a week's worth of aerobic fitness with other great dancers as well as valuable health information for just $79 U.S. What a bargain!"
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