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GOING FOR THE
Older adults compete in Durham County Senior Games and SilverArts for the chance to advance to the state and national games
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B Y RE N E E A M B RO S O AND AMANDA MAC L AR E N | PHOTOG RAPHY B Y J OHN MICHAEL SIMPSON
he Durham Senior Games and SilverArts, which is coordinated by Durham Parks & Recreation and sponsored by the Durham Arts Council, Durham Center for Senior Life and NC Cooperative Extension, took place from April 26-May 18. Participants 50 years and older competed in events including heritage and visual arts, basketball shooting, badminton, pickleball and more. A total of 54 entrants in this year’s games and SilverArts qualified for the statewide games, which are slated to begin on Sept. 9.
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vette Matthews, 67, who
moved to Carolina Arbors from Parker, Colorado, in 2016, is no stranger to fierce competition. She played basketball and lacrosse as a student at the University of Maryland and went on to compete as a semi-pro volleyball player. She now participates in myriad sports in the 65-69 age bracket at the Senior Games, including badminton, shuffleboard, track and field, basketball, pingpong, horseshoes, softball throwing and croquet. Yvette was diagnosed with the rare liver disease primary sclerosing cholangitis in 2001 and received a liver transplant in 2014. She competed in a 5K, cycling race, and track and field events in the Transplant Games of America that same year and went on to