There's gold in Edna Parks' past - Senior Olympics gold, that is. And she hopes to add to her competitive success this fall in the Florida Senior championships.
By TERRY JONES
© St. Petersburg Times, published October 31, 2000
SEMINOLE -- While she quietly adjusts her shoes and examines her 10-pound bowling ball, others watch Edna Parks, knowing her skill and reputation on the lanes. She is an international champion and a Senior Olympics gold medalist.
She was 91 when she won her medal last year in the games played at Kissimmee.
Now she is preparing for the Florida Senior championships scheduled for November. She thinks she has a good chance to reach the medal round.
In addition to her Olympic gold, she has more than 15 other medals earned in competition during the past 18 years.
Parks began bowling at age 55 in a small community outside Indianapolis, where she and her husband owned and operated a hotel and restaurant. Some employees encouraged her to start the sport as a way to relax.
"A younger couple who worked for my husband and me got me started," she said. "They always seemed to be happy and relaxed and had fun in life. They said bowling helped them relieve tension. It worked for me too. It was several years before I built up the nerve to compete, but I joined a league and learned to hold my own."
After her husband died, Parks stopped bowling for a while, but when she moved to Florida in 1972 she picked up the sport again and started in another league. It provided exercise and a base for social activity.
Her son Bob, 72, lives near her, and her daughter Diane, 58, still resides in the Indianapolis area. A second son, Chuck, is deceased.
She has four grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren, some living in Florida and some back in Indiana.
The Senior Olympics take place every other year, and athletes must compete with scores of others to qualify for a competitive slot. Medalists automatically qualify for the the next Olympics.
Parks practices at least once a week and more if she feels ambitious. Because of arthritis in her back, she has had to go to a lighter bowling ball.
"I still work on my game every time I bowl," she said. "Seems like I always need to improve something." Her best three-game series to date has been a 509. This year, her best single game has been a 207.
Parks also is a member and officer in the Gulf Beach Chapter 241 of Eastern Star.
- Know of interesting people to profile? Write to Terry Jones c/o Seniority, St. Petersburg Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731.