Potomac Place residents bowl for gold

By Josh Eiserike

Published: August 17, 2008

While Michael Phelps goes for Olympic glory in Beijing, a group of local seniors are going for their own Olympic glory closer to home—on the Nintendo Wii.

Residents at the Woodbridge assisted living community Potomac Place are competing with nine other assisted living communities around the commonwealth.

"Since the Olympics were this year we thought it'd be neat to go together," Potomac Place Marketing Coordinator Julie Keyser said.

She said she hopes the Wii Olympics help the residents stay active, work together and become closer as a community.

Potomac Place competitors, each donning patriotic T-shirts, marched into the dining room to the theme from "Rocky" and clips from other inspirational songs, led by a torch bearer carrying a paper flame two weeks ago.

The dining room was dressed with flags from countries around the world. About 25 people—resi-dents, staff, and family, watched.

"I think we're really going to put some heat on the competition," said Potomac Place activity director Barbara Brunell.

She said residents have been practicing up to three times a week to keep up their scores.

They'll compete for a week, and play other local teams for another week. Top scores will be compared to the other competing communities, and winners announced Aug. 22.

A couple days after opening ceremonies, the Wii Olympians are ready to compete. They wait outside the library where the Wii will be set up, as a Bible study finishes. They are again sporting American flag hats and shirts. Their team is called "Near Misses."

"Don't they know they have to get out at 2?" says an anxious 85-year-old Rose Nemerow.

"He's always on time," Brunell says of the Bible study group.

A long 10 minutes later, the Bible study group files out and the Olympians take their places.

Including spectators, there's about a dozen people in the room.

They will "bowl" a total of four games (or two games for a set of three players).

On her third frame, Lillian Hignette, 91, bowls the first strike of the afternoon.

Everyone applauds.

Her husband, Wesley Hignette, 97, has some trouble with control. He can't quite master the release, often dropping the ball to a slow roll down the lane. Sometimes he's lucky and gets a strike this way.

The second set of Near Misses bowlers begin a game with the rally cry, "Go Near Misses, yay U.S.A.!"

Nemerow bowls strike after strike (with the occasional spare).

"Oh, she's hot today," Brunell says. "I can see that trophy sitting downstairs in the hallway. We're going to win it."

She's not the only one.

"You're making your country proud," Brunell says to Dorothy Crock, 89, after a strike.

At the end of the first round, Nemerow holds the highest score with a 174. Crock is second with 163.

"I did fair," Nemerow says. "I did better the other day. I have carpal tunnel on the hand I have to throw with and I wear a brace. I sort of baby the hand."

During the second round everyone gets a bit tired. The whole event lasts about two hours, a long time for anyone to play video games. Still, the Hignettes and Nemerow improve their score on the second game. The Hignettes go up about 10 points, Nemerow bowls the afternoon's best score with a 183.

Brunell instructs the tired Olympians to get a good night's rest and conserve their energy. They'll be back tomorrow, same time, same place, same uniforms.

"We've got a really good start, guys, to our first day of competition," she says.

Staff writer Josh Eiserike can be reached at 703-878-8072.