Centenarian competing in Western Colorado Senior Games

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KKCO) -The 20th annual Western Colorado Senior Games are underway this week in Grand Junction with one particular Fruita athlete standing out from the rest.

Ellen Roberts, turned 100-years-old on August 21, 2021 making her the first centenarian to compete in the Senior Games.

Roberts was born in Branson, Mo. and moved with her family to Fruita in 1923. She said her family lived on a homestead when they first moved to the Grand Valley where she eventually worked as a farm hand.

Roberts has been competing in the Senior Games since 2004 and says she usually gets 16 gold medals at the end of the games.

“I love my sports. I love the outdoors.” Roberts said during Tuesday’s bocce ball event at Hawthorne Park. She’s signed up for events every day during the week of the Senior Games.

“I like to get out and try. To show people that at my age you can always get out and do the games.” Roberts said. “I love to see all these old people here. I meet all these people and they look forward to seeing me”

After living in Fruita for nearly a century, Mayor Joel Kincaid declared her birthday, Aug. 21st, 2021 as “Ellen V. Roberts Day” in the city of Fruita.

“Ellen has made such a difference in so many Fruita seniors’ lives and as a great-great-great-grandmother the lives of her family” and has “embodied the great spirit and character of the entire Fruita community as a whole,” the mayor said in his declaration.

Roberts is competing in the golf putt and chip event at Lincoln Park today, horseshoes on Thursday at the Canyon View horseshoe pits and track and field on Friday at Lincoln Park.

To see the schedule for the games, click here: https://www.gjcity.org/1139/Seniors-Games-Schedule.

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