DC VA Medical Center Veterans Bring Home 35 Medals from 2026 National Veterans Golden Age Games
By Gloria Hairston, Director of Public Affairs
Veterans, ages 55 to 80+, competed in 20 sports activities at the 40th Annual Games in Tampa, Florida
Twenty-five Veterans from the Washington DC VA Medical Center traveled to Tampa, Florida, June 27 – July 2, 2026, to compete in the 40th Annual National Veterans Golden Age Games — and came home with 35 medals and 11 ribbons to show for it.
The Games, hosted this year by the VA Tampa Healthcare System, are the nation's premier senior adaptive sports competition, open to Veteran athletes 55 and older. DC VAMC's delegation ranged in age from 55 to over 80 and competed across 20 sports activities, going head-to-head with Veterans from VA medical centers around the country.
Behind the DC team's success was a full year of preparation. Two DC VAMC Recreation Therapists, Niketia Davis, CTRS, and Jordan Harrington, CTRS, trained alongside the Veterans in the months leading up to the Games, then traveled with them to Tampa to provide motivation, coaching, and hands-on logistics support throughout the week of competition.
Adaptive Sports Recreation Therapist Niketia Davis recalls accompanying Veterans to many annual competitive sports games, smiling, she says, "Watching our Veterans compete in their sports activities, individually and in doubles, as well as seeing them give their all makes this work so meaningful."
For DC VAMC's Veterans, the Games offered more than a shot at the podium. The event gives Veterans a chance to showcase their talents, celebrate their commitment to wellness, and push themselves through friendly competition — all while reconnecting with a community of fellow Veterans who understand the value of staying active, mind and body.
DC VAMC Team Results:
JULIANA WALKER
- AIR RIFLE Gold
- BOCCIA SINGLES Silver
- BOCCIA DOUBLES Silver
- BASKETBALL FREE THROWS 4th Place Ribbon
- DISCUS 6th Place Ribbon
MARTHA LEVIN
RECUMBENT CYCLING
- 5K Gold
- 10K Gold
TONY CHAPMAN
- BOCCIA Bronze
JAMES EDGE
- BILLIARDS Silver
- HORSESHOE Gold
- CORNHOLE Bronze
- BOCCIA DOUBLES Bronze
GEORGIA ROBINSON
- HORSESHOES Bronze
- BOCCIA Bronze
- SHUFFLEBOARD Bronze
CLARETHA JOHNSON
TRACK
- 50M Gold
- 100M Gold
ROSETTA PRIDE
- HORSESHOES Silver
- BADMINTON SINGLES Silver
- TABLE TENNIS Gold
DAVID BEAN
- SHUFFLEBOARD Gold
- BOCCIA Silver
- HORSESHOES Silver
- CORNHOLE Bronze
VALERIE MCINTOSH
TRACK
- 50M Gold
- 100M Gold
PHYLLIS KANE
SWIMMING
- 25M BACK STROKE 4th Place Ribbon
- 100M BACK STROKE Silver
TONY MILLER
TRACK
- 1500 M POWERWALK 4th Place Ribbon
- 200M 6th Place Ribbon
ANGELA ANDREW
- BASKETBALL FREETHROWS Bronze
- GOLF 5th Place Ribbon
RON SELDON
- Golf 5th Place Ribbon
KIM SELDON
- AIR RIFLE 7th Place Ribbon
- BASKETBALL FREETHROWS 6th Place Ribbon
HARVEY GUARY
- BOCCIA Bronze
- BLIND DISC GOLF Silver
- CORNHOLE Silver
- HORSESHOES Gold
PAULETTE PHILL ANDREWS
TRACK
- 50M Gold
- 100M Gold
FIELD
- SHOT PUT Bronze
- DISCUS Bronze
- JAVELIN Bronze
- CORNHOLE Bronze
- BOWLING Bronze
About the National Veterans Golden Age Games
First held in 1985, the National Veterans Golden Age Games mark their 40th anniversary this year. The Games underscore the therapeutic value of sports medicine for older Veterans and remain the only multi-sport competition in the world designed specifically to improve quality of life for older Veterans, including those with a range of abilities.
Click the link below for more information about the Games:
To learn more about the DC VAMC Recreation Therapy Program, speak with your VA Primary Care provider.