(Radio Iowa) – Iowa is hosting its first-ever National Senior Games as competition gets underway today (Thursday), with the formal opening ceremony tomorrow night, including the arrival of the flaming torch on the Iowa State Capitol Grounds. Games spokeswoman Mary Johns says this national sporting event is held every other year. “We’re thrilled to have over 12,500 athletes registered to compete in the games coming from all 50 states and multiple countries,” Johns says. “This will be our second-largest National Senior Games in history, so we’re super-excited about that, and predicting over $32-million in economic impact.” One goal of the games is to showcase a new perspective on aging, as the competition is open only to people 50 and older.

“We have 25 sports so it’s a multi-sport, Olympic-style event and for most sports, athletes have to qualify in the year before at their state Senior Games,” Johns says, “so that’s something that makes it a bit unique, that these people have qualified and now they’re coming to compete on the national level.” While many of the athletes are in their 50s, there are quite a few who are over 90, and even a couple of centenarians. The oldest athlete set to compete is 101-year-old Irma Bond from North Carolina. “We have everything from pickleball to swimming, shuffleboard, track and field,” Johns says. “We have some new sports that we’re introducing this year that we’re really excited about like power lifting, billiards, disc golf. It’s something for everyone and a lot for the community to come see and watch.” The events will be underway in venues all around the Des Moines metro and as far away as Ames. All are free for spectators.

“There’s also the opportunity for community members to volunteer. We have shifts available at all different kinds of sports, and all different kinds of tasks,” Johns says. “It could be helping with athlete check-in or scorekeeping, or whatever you may be interested in, so anyone who’s interested in that can visit our website nsga.com and learn all about volunteering.”

This is considered the world’s largest qualified multi-sport event. The games run through August 4th.