But the 75-year-old Tacoma resident still wants to stay active, which brought him to the Washington State Senior Games track and field events Saturday at Tumwater District Stadium.
Larson, who was a boxer in 1952 at Washington State College, is regularly one of the most active participants at the games. While many just stick with an event or two, he’s competed in as many as nine activities. He scaled back to five this year after he broke his left leg while training in December at Wilson High School.
“Somebody left a rock, and I landed on it,” said Larson, who was training for the National Senior Games in Palo Alto, Calif. “It left a 2-inch split in my leg.”
Larson said he was in a cast for 100 days and was unable to compete at nationals. He hopes to compete again in the 800-meter run, but is focused on the triple jump for now to avoid putting too much strain on his body.
“I’m just going to take it easy,” said Larson, who also competed in the 5-kilometer run, basketball free throw and hot shot events and the softball throw.
Larson always has been active in sports. After boxing a year for the Cougars, he joined the Marine Corps and competed on the AAU circuit.
He later graduated from Western Washington University and spent 29 years as a coach and administrator at Dieringer Middle School. Larson coached basketball, flag football and softball.
He still remembers competing with his five children in 1973 in Tacoma’s Sound to Narrows race.
His oldest child, Jennifer Hogan, 51, won the 50- to 55-year-old discus with a throw of 65 feet. But Larson can’t get his wife, Nancy, involved.
“The only thing I can get her involved in is mixed doubles in bowling,” he said. “… She’s not a competitive type.”
Larson, who wants to run one more marathon in his life, plans to continue competing in the Senior Games.
“I want to keep doing this until I die,” he said. “There’s some records for 100-year-olds that aren’t too strong. Maybe I can break them.”
• Olympia resident Lily Reinecke, 56, set the meet record in the 55- to 60-year-old women’s age group with a leap of 5 feet, 81/2 inches in the standing long jump. Reinecke, who decided to compete after watching her husband, Hugh, participate in the shot put and javelin last year, also won the 200 dash for her age group in 39.14 seconds.
“I’m very surprised to set the record,” said Reinecke, who is from Phoenix and moved to South Sound in 1995. “I haven’t been in any competitions since middle school, but I work out regularly.”
• Bellingham’s Henry James, 51, established a meet record for a second consecutive year. James, who ran track at Everett High School, finished the 800 in 2:11.11 in the 50-to-54 class. James set the mark in the 400 last year (54.83), but couldn’t top that time this year (55.17).
James returned to serious running to train for a marathon in 2001 before sustaining various injuries to his legs and taking a few years off. He began competing in the Senior Games last year.
“Marathons are pretty tough and taxing,” he said. “You’re probably logging 50 to 60 miles a week.”
James coaches a U15 club soccer team, WFC Rangers, and his oldest daughter, Amber, played soccer at Seattle University. He plans to keep coaching soccer and competing in running events.
“People of any age can come out here and do this thing,” he said. “If you want to get out and be active, there’s a place to do it.”
• Lacey’s George Rowswell, 92, was the oldest competitor in the track events. Rowswell put the shot 11-41/2. Rowswell was a football lineman at Washington State from 1936 to 1939.
