Iowa Senior Olympics Hall of Fame Inductees

The Iowa Senior Olympics added four new members to its Hall of Fame in an induction ceremony on June 14 in West Des Moines. They are Tom Little of Pershing, Carroll Marty of Ames, Mike Schaumburg of West Des Moines and Ron Peterson of Waukee.    

                Tom Little, 81, has won 96 medals including 57 gold medals and holds five records in the field goal kick, Frisbee distance and accuracy throws, soccer kick and softball accuracy throw. Both Tom and his wife, Ruth, have successfully participated in Senior Olympic competitions in neighboring states.

Carroll Marty, 79, has also won 96 medals, including 51 gold medals and has set three records in the Frisbee distance throw, standing long jump and triple jump. He has won an additional 300 medals in senior Olympic competitions in other states. This past year he was named the Male Athlete of the Year by the Iowa Games and was then honored by the National Games as their Male Athlete of the Year.

Mike Schaumburg, 72, has won 148 medals including 94 gold medals. He holds two records in bowling and is a standout tennis player. Mike has been active for a number of years in organizing weekly bowling and tennis competitions for fellow senior athletes.

                Ron Peterson, 69, has won 242 medals, including 131 gold medals and holds six records in the softball and football accuracy throws, soccer kick, basketball shooting, javelin and triple jump. He has won an additional 550 medals in Senior Olympic competitions in other states. In 2008, Peterson was named Male Athlete of the Year by the Iowa Games and is a four-time national champion senior slow pitch softball player.

                The Iowa Senior Olympics is a multi-sport festival held each summer in the Des Moines area open to those age 50 and up. Among the events are track and field, golf, team softball, basketball, shuffleboard, swimming, bowling, badminton, racquetball, table tennis, Pickleball and Granny Basketball.