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1987- 2007: 20 Years and Still Moving- The WV Geri Olympics is the longest lasting and continuously sponsored competitive event for nursing home residents in the United States.
The West Virginia Geri Olympics started in 1987 with 8 nursing homes and 37 residents. From the beginning the event was sponsored by the Bureau of Senior Services, WV Rehabilitation Center, WV Therapeutic Recreation Association, and the WV Recreation & Parks Association. Over the years several other groups have been added such as: The Greater Kanawha Foundation, Sun Trust Bank, and Susie Fast Food Restaurant.
In 2007 the West Virginia Geri Olympics was attended by 20+ nursing homes, 167residents and conducted with the assistance of nearly 200 volunteers. Involvement of several non-profit agencies such as Step-By-Step and WV Dreamers added new dimensions to the event. VISTA leaders and support staff assisted through out the event and promoted enthusiasm and energy in elder outreach and intergenerational programming.
Since it began the Geri Olympics has emphasized exercise, involvement, socialization and competition as well as advocacy. Nursing home resident athletes anticipate and look forward to this event as one of the major life experiences of the year. Many begin training in January, come and compete in their attempt to win the gold and are welcomed when they arrive home after the event by other residents. All of this: the trophies, the certificates, etc, promotes the quality of life of the residents and gives them a sense of purpose, demonstrating that life doesn�t end when someone enters a nursing home. Geri Olympics since the beginning has shown the community and the world that residents are very much alive, with a zest for competition, and are alive and very much involved.
This can be seen in real life cases such as the 105 year old man that has lived in 2 centuries competing in a wheel chair race, a grandson coming to Geri Olympics as a volunteer and taking his grandmother through the events, saying �I never saw her as an athlete�- thus adding a new dimension to their relationship, or an resident with MS who is excited about being a winner � has her chair greased up before the event, trains for 5 months and wins the wheel chair races 8 years in a row � being greeted by other residents on the return home and having status among other residents.
All residents who attend receive certificates and medals- only event winners and the facility with the most points or spirit receive trophies. There are nursing homes in West Virginia that have added trophies cases to display their Geri Olympics winnings.
In 2008 a �Team USA� comprised of residents from Cedar Ridge Nursing and Rehabilitation hope to go to Prague for the 4th International Geri Olympics to represent the United States. For most resident athletes this will be a first experience or the experience of a life time- the younger resident athletes have a life time ahead of them living in a nursing home with older residents- for them this will be life changing- for the older residents it will be much the same. For all it will be the first team to attend the first really International Geri Olympics- representing the United States and the team will be from West Virginia and WVSU.