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Contact:
Del Moon
National Senior Games Association
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678.549.4444
Grammy-Award Winner Jim Peterik Helps National Senior Games Association Present
Personal Best Fitness Award
Chicago-Area “Personal Best” Athlete Bob O’Connor and Musician Jim Peterik Embody Life-Long Fitness
CHICAGO—June 21, 2013—The National Senior Games Association (NSGA) recently honored Bob O’Connor of River
Forest, Ill., with a "Personal Best Award" at a Chicago press conference that also featured Grammy-award winning
songwriter Jim Peterik. O’Connor’s perseverance in overcoming a catastrophic injury in 2001 and his dedication to
lifelong fitness won him the prestigious honor.
“I’m very proud, humbled and pleased to accept this award” O’Connor said. “As we age it’s important that we’re able to
embrace some natural limitations that occur, and turn them into challenges instead of something more negative.”
O’Connor’s recovery is an inspiration to other senior athletes, who attended the ceremony to watch the 67-year-old
track star get honored with a special acoustic performance from Peterik—writer and vocalist for the iconic sports song
“Eye of the Tiger,” and former member of Survivor and The Ideas of March.
“Bringing together Jim Peterik and Bob O’Connor for NSGA’s Chicago Personal Best was a great way to amplify our
message,” said NSGA CEO Marc T. Riker. “While through different methods, both still exude the same passion and
inspiration that motivate our athletes to stay active, fit and healthy.”
A Rock Star Inspires Senior Athletes
Peterik socialized and told stories to the audience between songs “Burning Fire” (Survivor), “Vehicle” (The Ides of March)
and “Hold on Loosely” (.38 Special). He expressed his strong connection to NSGA’s mission to re-define the meaning of
personal best and spoke of his passion on the subject.
"So many people need this [personal best] message, to have that encouragement when you're past the age of 50 that
you can keep going, and even get better,” Peterik said as he introduced his show-closing acoustic rendition of "Eye of
The Tiger," the iconic theme song from the 1982 movie Rocky III. “That's the personal best message and I love it."
Chicago-Area Athlete’s Journey Just Beginning
Anyone familiar with the Illinois State Senior Olympics knows Bob O’Connor. The 67-year-old psychologist has
dominated the 800 meter event at the State Senior Olympics by winning the competition six years in a row, including
2013. O’Connor will try to win his first national medal in the same event at the 2013 National Senior Games presented
by Humana starting July 19 in Cleveland. Other key accomplishments for the Personal Best winner include:
 Being part of a University of Chicago Track Club relay team that set an indoor two-mile world record in 1969; the
same team members reunited and set a master's record in the same event 13 years later.
 After tearing his Achilles in 2001, one doctor told him he would never compete again. But after two years of
recovery and re-teaching himself how to walk, O’Connor continues to run five times per week and will himself to
maintain competition form.
An extended profile of O’Connor and other honorees can be found on the Personal Best page at www.NSGA.com. A broll video and photo package is also available to any and all media interested.
The National Senior Games Association (NSGA) is a nonprofit member of the United States Olympic Committee that
promotes health and wellness for adults 50 and over through education, fitness and sport. NSGA governs the National
Senior Games, the largest multi-sport event in the world for seniors. National Sponsors are Humana and AstraZeneca.
NSGA sanctions member organizations across the country that host Senior Games or Senior Olympics to provide seniors
with quality sports activity. Visit www.NSGA.com for more information.
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