Active Life S P E C I A L S U P P L E M E N T TO T H E G L O B E
FEBRUARY 2020
Retiree makes a ‘racquet’ at national level Racquetball champ Kern makes the most of life at all levels By Jane Turpin Moore The Globe WINDOM — Page Kern may have retired a few years ago, but she remains totally on the ball. Think twice before betting your hand/eye coordination against hers — unless you have extremely deep pockets. And don’t be fooled by Kern’s modest demeanor and self-deprecating sense of humor: She is a formidable racquetball competitor who won her two most recent titles this January at the 31st annual U.S. Women’s Senior/Masters Racquetball Association (WSMRA) tournament in St. Louis, Mo. A native of the “booming metropolis” of Jeffers, as Kern jestingly characterizes her hometown, this energetic 63-year-old regularly dominates not only racquetball contenders in her own age group but also those many years her junior. “Give me anything with a fun ball to chase, hit or throw and I’ll do it,” said Kern, a natural athlete who has pursued her varied youthful interests in music and sports throughout her adult life. “And while there isn’t much call for old pudgy
volleyball setters or basketball point guards,” she joked, “racquetball is not only great exercise but it’s also social. “I’ve been able to travel around the U.S. and even outside the country enjoying friends and racquetball.” Most weeks, Kern can be found on the racquetball court at the Windom Arena from Monday through Thursday. “And if there’s a weekend tournament, then I’m probably playing every day,” said Kern. “I also try to get some walking in and I like to kayak in the summer. I live about a mile and half outside of Windom and am very close to Cottonwood Lake and Summit Lake — so I have options.” A 1974 graduate of the former Storden-Jeffers Consolidated Schools (now Red Rock Central), Kern grew up as the “most mature” in a family of five Duroe kids. “I’m old enough that I had very little of the high school athletic experiences kids today are blessed with, but I had enough backyard and pickup games so I could step in,” she recalled. Upon matriculating at Augustana University in Sioux Falls, S.D.,
Special to The Globe
Page Kern is a star in the world of racquetball. Among many other achievements, she won first place in two divisions at the U.S. Women’s Seniors Racquetball tournament in St. Louis, Mo., competing there from Jan. 16-19.
Kern immediately took advantage of the new sports opportunities for women and became a standout three-sport athlete, competing in volleyball, basketball and softball. “I was in the first group of women athletic scholarship recipients at Augie,” she explained, noting her athletic scholarship kicked in during her sophomore or junior year. Her alma mater further recognized her sports prowess by naming her to the Augustana Athletic Hall of Fame in 1993. As a physical education major with minors in music and coaching, Kern initially taught physical education for two years in Luverne. A family career switch took her to Windom, and Kern has been rooted there ever since. “I worked for Aid Association for Lutherans — now Thrivent Financial — for over 35 years, and I retired about three years ago,” said Kern. Besides being a highly decorated racquetball player, Kern is a competent, well-trained trumpeter who frequently lends her skills to services at Windom’s American Lutheran Church. She relishes playing with
a small ensemble of other experienced brass musicians there. “And Fairmont has a wonderful community band, so five weeks each summer I drive over there with a few friends,” she said. “We run through the music, play a concert and come back all in one day.” Kern is also a leader within her church; she recently completed a two-year stint as the congregational president. “I enjoyed it,” she affirmed. “It gave me good insight as to how fortunate we are to have the number of people we do who volunteer and give their time. “For anybody who can volunteer for things, it’s very important that they do.” As with her music training, Kern traces her racquetball origins to Augustana. “I learned to play racquetball as a freshman there,” she said. “College was a wonderful time, and Augie had a nice small campus so you knew a lot of people. “I spent a lot of time running between the gymnasium and the humanities building.”
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