Power of passionate people motivates sports nonprofit CEO

Marc Riker readies himself for a busy few months.

By Mark Gordon
| 11:00 a.m. February 3, 2022
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Leadership

National Senior Games Association CEO Marc Riker doesn’t have to go far to find leadership inspiration.

At a glance: National Senior Games Association

The National Senior Games Association, which puts on The National Senior Games, was founded with a vision to promote healthy lifestyles for adults through education, fitness and sport.

The association’s first event was held in St. Louis in 1987, with 15 sports and 2,500 athletes. It’s been held every other year since, with the exception of last year, when it was canceled due to the pandemic. In 2019 it was held in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with 20 sports and nearly 14,000 athletes.

The event, officially the 2022 National Senior Games presented by Humana, is now the largest multi-sport event in the world for seniors, with everything from archery to shuffleboard to a triathlon. To make it to the games, similar to the Olympics, the NSGA has member chapters nationwide that hold off-year qualifying events. Going back to odd year events, the 2023 Senior Games are scheduled to be held in Pittsburgh.

He’s surrounded by it at Clearwater-based NSGA, a nonprofit that promotes fun, fitness and fellowship for the senior set and, in doing so, has fostered thousands of age-is-just-a-number athletes and lifelong competitors. There’s a 105-year-old woman running the 100-yard dash in one of the group’s events. Or a 90-year-old pole-vaulter. And then there’s the 50-something blind swimmer. “They are going out and living their life,” Riker says “They are going out and doing what they want to do.”