Nothing is Impossible | Local

Gladys Mixon will have to find a new wall rack to hang her medals.

The 69-year-old Celanese resident keeps collecting more and more medals from Senior Games across the state and the country, and she’s not slowing down anytime soon.

She bought a rack to hang her medals and it reads “Nothing Is Impossible.” That’s the attitude she takes when it comes to fitness and competition and it’s the attitude she wants other seniors to take as well.

Two weeks ago Gladys collected seven medals at the State Games of Georgia. She medaled in several throwing events including shotput, discus and javelin.

But she’s also gearing up for her next competition, the Georgia Golden Olympics in Warner Robins in September. It’ll be a qualifier for Nationals.

While others her age might be enjoying retirement or a more leisurely lifestyle, Gladys prefers to be active. And her journey into competition began in 2015.

“My friend Carol is very competitive and a good athlete,” Gladys said. “In 2015 she told me she was going to participate in the Georgia Senior Olympics and I told her I’d come watch her and cheer her on.”

Carol encouraged Gladys to participate.

“But I have never been athletic,” Gladys said. “I’ve always walked a lot but never done sports. But Carol kept encouraging me and showed me the booklet for the games. There were walking events. So I decided to sign up and participate.”

While Carol won gold in throwing events at those games, Gladys also brought home two gold medals in walking events — the 3K and 5K events. And she was hooked.

Now she participates in the games each year. She and Carol travel to the Georgia State and Alabama State Games and have also qualified for National Games in Virginia and New Mexico.

“This is so much fun for me,” Gladys said. “We make wonderful friends whenever we go to the games and even if you’re not athletic, it still gets you out there being active.”

Gladys walks every day, most of the time in her neighborhood of Celanese and said the senior games are open to anyone 50 and above. There’s no qualifying for events. You simply have to register for the games online or by mail and show up to participate.

“There’s traditional events you’d see at other games,” she said. “But there’s also shuffleboard, horseshoes and my favorites which are the walking events.”

But she’s recently gotten into throwing events such as the discus and shotput even thought she claims she’s not very good at them. But that doesn’t matter to her. She likes the challenge. Most early mornings or late evenings will find Gladys and Carol on Riverside Parkway practicing their throwing.

Last year, since no Games were held because of the pandemic, the Senior Games offered athletes a 30-day walking challenge. Glady’s goal was 10 miles a day. She walked 300 miles for that month.

And this year, the National Senior Games offered a Steps To Well Being Challenge March 15 to April 12. Gladys represented Team Georgia by contributing a whopping 1,125,198 steps toward an overall total. She proudly displays the certificate sent to her for the incredible accomplishment.

She wants Rome’s seniors to know they have a great opportunity to participate in these events and games. And it doesn’t matter what their level of fitness is.

“I don’t consider myself athletic by any means,” she said. “But I can walk. And almost everyone can walk. So start with that.”

Although walking and participating in these various events is fun for Gladys, there’s also a very serious reason she’s encouraging others to get active. Glady’s is a cancer survivor and she’s undergone three major surgeries in the past seven years including a hip replacement.

“And I’m living proof of the benefits of exercise and an healthy, active lifestyle,” she said. “During chemo for my breast cancer I couldn’t be active but as soon as they let me I started walking again. And my doctors said my recovery and the way I bounce back from my surgeries so easily and quickly is a direct result of how much exercise I get and how healthy my heart and lungs are.”

This past June, Gladys participated in the Alabama State Games and two weeks ago she was at an event in South Carolina. In September she and Carol will once again return to the Georgia Golden Olympics in Warner Robins. It’ll be a qualifying event for Nationals in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

“Anyone can do this,” she said. “Just sign up and start participating. Look at me, I’m not very good at some of these throwing events but I don’t care. I enjoy doing it and I do my best. Every step you take is one step closer to a healthier you. Nothing is impossible.”