Age was no barrier for eight Plainsboro residents who brought home medals — and plenty of pride — from the New Jersey Senior Olympics earlier this month.
The athletes joined hundreds of competitors from across the state in Woodbridge Sept. 5-7, showcasing their skills in pickleball, bocce, basketball, swimming and even miniature golf.
Pickleball drew the largest Plainsboro contingent, with Sharon Mitchell, Mary Coen, Bart Ford, Satyen Parikh, Manik Choudavarapu and Naresh Babu taking the courts at Ford’s Park in round robin play in their age divisions.
Over at the Woodbridge Community Center, other Plainsboro athletes spread out across the events. Cynthia Soumoff, Mitchell and Suman Arora challenged the bocce courts, while Mitchell also tried her hand at basketball accuracy and foul shooting.
Arora took on miniature golf, and Soumoff dove into the pool for the 200- and 500-yard freestyle races.
By the end of the three-day competition, the Plainsboro team had tallied an impressive medal count: eight golds and three silvers.
For the athletes, the event was about more than just wins. The games highlighted the camaraderie, energy and determination of older adults who continue to find joy in sport.
Plainsboro residents Suman Arora, Sharon Mitchell, Cynthia Soumoff, Bart Ford, Manik Choudavarapu and Naresh Babu.,
