The Unfair Advantage of Competing After 50 as High-Performing Men & Veterans Take the Lead at Golden Age Games

Men in their fifties face a stark reality: the clock is ticking, and the body isn’t forgiving mistakes anymore. Yet while most accept decline as inevitable, a growing cohort of mature Americans is proving that competition doesn’t have an expiry date. At the Veterans Golden Age Games in Memphis this week, over 1,000 men and women aged 55 and beyond are rewriting the rules about what’s possible in later life.

The numbers tell a compelling story about the relationship between fitness and longevity. Research from the Copenhagen Male Study, tracking men for 45 years, found that higher cardiovascular fitness in middle age correlates directly with longer life. Men in the top fitness bracket at age 50 lived significantly longer than their sedentary peers – in some cases, adding years to their lifespan.

The Performance Advantage of Competition

What sets these veteran competitors apart isn’t just their fitness regimen – it’s their mindset. Myra Ancheta, a Marine Corps veteran now competing in pickleball, captures this perfectly: ‘After joining the Marine Corps, physical activity was a way of life. Waking up early in the morning and running in formation positively changed my life. Now I am a Golden Age Games athlete.’

The competitive element matters more than many realise. Research on competitive sports participation among older adults reveals five key themes: perseverance, career development through significant effort, personal and social benefits, unique ethos and identification as a senior athlete. Unlike casual fitness, competition creates accountability and drives consistency in ways that gym memberships rarely achieve.

Army Veteran Michael Bell, competing in his third Games across five sports including boccia, bowling, golf, pickleball and horseshoes, embodies this approach. For men like Bell, the Games aren’t just about staying active – they’re about maintaining standards and pursuing excellence. This connects to what research consistently shows about effective fitness for high-performing men: consistency trumps complexity.

The Science Behind Later-Life Performance

The physiological benefits of sustained athletic competition after 50 extend far beyond basic fitness metrics. Harvard research demonstrates that regular physical activity reduces overall mortality by more than 25% and increases life expectancy by over two years compared to sedentary populations.

More importantly for high-performers, the mental benefits compound over time. Veteran Richard Cooks, competing despite visual impairment in his ninth year, explains: ‘I’m more athletic now and that keeps me going.’ This isn’t just positive thinking – competitive sports engage the same psychological skills that drive success in business: goal setting, stress management, and maintaining performance under pressure.

The most recent longitudinal studies show that men maintaining higher cardiovascular fitness in their fifties demonstrate significantly better longevity outcomes. The research tracked over 5,000 healthy employed men for 45 years, finding that those in the highest fitness category lived substantially longer than those in the lowest. This aligns with findings about lifestyle choices that influence biological ageing – active competition addresses multiple ageing mechanisms simultaneously.

Competition as Accountability System

What distinguishes competitive veterans from their peers isn’t access to better facilities or training – it’s the accountability structure that competition provides. With VA recreation therapists and clinicians as coaches, these athletes benefit from year-round rehabilitation and fitness programmes that maintain engagement far beyond typical exercise routines.

The psychological component proves equally crucial. Studies of competitive athletes show that successful performers attribute at least 50% of their success to mental factors: self-confidence, focus, positive attitude, and stress management. These skills transfer directly to professional and personal challenges outside sport.

The Veterans Golden Age Games, running from 31 May to 5 June, features 18 sports from traditional track and field to adapted events like blind disc golf. This year’s record turnout includes a 95-year-old competitor from Mobile, Alabama – proof that the pursuit of performance has no arbitrary endpoint.

The Practical Framework

For successful men weighing their own approach to fitness after 50, the veteran competitors offer a practical framework. The Games operate under a ‘Fitness for Life’ mission that emphasises sports rehabilitation for weight loss, chronic condition management, and stress reduction.

Harvard’s Nurses’ Health Study identified five critical factors for healthy longevity: regular exercise (at least 30 minutes daily of moderate to vigorous activity), healthy weight maintenance, no smoking, moderate alcohol intake, and healthy diet. Men practising four or five of these habits at age 50 lived about 31 years free of chronic disease, compared with 24 years among men who practised none.

The competitive element provides structure and progression that purely recreational fitness often lacks. Rather than arbitrary gym sessions, these athletes train with specific goals, measurable outcomes, and regular assessment of performance. The approach mirrors what successful men understand about mastering ageing – it’s about maintaining standards and continuous improvement, not accepting decline.

Beyond Physical Benefits

The psychological advantages deserve equal consideration. Research on aging role models shows that competitive older athletes serve as powerful examples of successful aging, not just for their peers but for themselves. The identity of ‘athlete’ rather than ‘aging person’ fundamentally changes how individuals approach their health and capabilities.

The bragging rights matter too. As the Games organisers note, ‘serious bragging rights’ and ‘trash talk are all part of the fun for the athletes, who are out to earn their share of medals’. This competitive banter reflects deeper psychological benefits: maintenance of social connection, preservation of identity, and continued engagement with personal achievement.

For men accustomed to measuring success in professional contexts, competitive sport provides familiar metrics: times, scores, rankings, and improvement trajectories. The 95-year-old competing this year isn’t just maintaining fitness – he’s pursuing personal bests and competing against others who share his commitment to performance. This mindset reflects what researchers have identified as key to extending both lifespan and healthspan well beyond conventional expectations.

The lesson extends beyond veterans to any man serious about optimising health as an asset. Competition creates sustainability that good intentions cannot match. Whether through masters athletics, veteran games, or age-group competitions, the framework of competitive sport offers accountability, progression, and purpose that transforms fitness from obligation into advantage.