If you see them out around town, they look like sweet, well-dressed southern ladies. They are grandmothers in their 60s and 70s, and are always polite and have smiles on their faces. But do not, under any circumstance, challenge them to what you think will be a friendly game of one-on-one on the basketball court. They will take … you … down!
Who are they? The Celadrin Tigerettes, and they are my favorite client I am working with currently at Kocina Branding & Marketing Companies. The team has won six Senior Olympic gold medals, and is going for number seven this June. They’ve also won dozens of state and regional titles. They are phenomenal athletes, and are shattering typical stereotypes we have of senior citizens. People have actually told me they were surprised to see how mean these ladies get on the court! Banged up and bruised after each game, these women know how to get down and dirty.
For the past few weeks, I’ve been working to help get the team publicity for their latest tournament in Tampa, Florida. They are also helping give a sneak peak of a work-in-progress documentary called “Age of Champions.” The film profiles the Tigerettes and other senior athletes in their journeys for Olympic gold medals. They are proving that you don’t have to slow down as you get older. You can be just as fit and active at age 75 as you were at age 25! All the athletes in the film are fiercely competitive– even 101-year-old tennis player Roger Gentilhomme. But win or lose, they inspire us to pursue our passion at any stage of life.
I have had a great time booking TV and radio opportunities for the Tigerettes, and the media is jumping at the chance to talk with them and see their skills. (There is one TV reporter who is in for a rude awakening when he plays them Monday morning.)
The film “Age of Champions” will be shown on PBS in early 2012. For more information, you can check out www.documentaryfoundation.org.
