Illinois Air National Guardsman boosts his military readiness in the St. Louis Legend Games
“Military-wise, PT tests can become more challenging as you get older, to the point some Guard members stress over whether it will impact their ability to reach 20 years of service,” said Jarvis.
That’s when Jarvis decided he needed a change.
For Jarvis that change ended up being the Legend Games. The St. Louis Legend Games, renamed from St. Louis Senior Olympics, is an athletic competition that promotes life long health and wellness of people aged 50 and older, hosted by the St. Louis Jewish Community Center.
He knew what it was going to take to improve his PT scores and he would do just that.
“As long as I'm serving in the military and could be deployed anytime, anywhere, I need to stay ready and fitness is a huge component of that,” said Jarvis.
Jarvis knew what it would take to accomplish his goals and improve his scores. He understood he would have to put in effort and make the necessary changes to his lifestyle.
“Every daily decision I make either brings me closer to my goals or farther away from my goals,” said Jarvis. “Whether to grab fast food on the way to work instead of sipping a protein smoothie, whether to hit the track after I get off work or blow it off. Good choices lead to better ones; bad choices lead to worse.”
Jarvis thrives off of competition and community and saw a significant improvement in his physical well being after participating in the Legend Games. His drive to train increased significantly with the new motivation.
“Now it's about trying to set a new personal record in a track and field event, which leaves you with a wonderful feeling of achievement afterward. You can't turn back the hands of time, but you can keep setting new PRs.”
That inspiration has bled over into other aspects of his life altering them for the better.
“The same mindset applies to my career,” said Jarvis. “If I'm vying for a promotion or applying for a new job, I can't just do what everyone else is doing. I have to go above and beyond at every opportunity.”
Jarvis’s new found commitment to training consistently gave him a sense of reassurance.
“When you're training year-round, you gain the peace of mind of knowing you can always pass a PT test in flying colors,” said Jarvis.
Jarvis was encouraged by watching the people he trained and competed with succeed. They had become his community.
“What I've enjoyed most is joining a community of older athletes who can still deadlift hundreds of pounds and run circles around people half their age,” said Jarvis. “It's truly inspiring.”
The community that the Games provided was a big selling point for Jarvis and reminded him of the same camaraderie he valued in the Air Force.
“One time I didn't bring the right size javelin to the event, and my chief competitor immediately offered to let me use his javelin along with a few throwing tips,” said Jarvis “A small gesture but it really touched me, and it embodied the true spirit of the Legends Games. We're out here to compete and give it our all, but we're also out here trying to be good people, not just good athletes.”
The Legend games created a cycle of growth and self improvement for Jarvis.
“Physically, I'm in the best shape of my life. Personally, I've joined a fantastic community of fellow athletes, and I plan to remain active in that community until the end of my days,” said Jarvis.
Jarvis plans to continue competing and achieving more and more.
Winning events at the Legend Games last spring, and even being able to compete on the same track he did 32 years ago in high school, Ladue Horton Watkins High School, was inspiring for Jarvis. Jarvis plans to compete in six more events than he did the last year.
Now he wants to share the gift that the Legend Games have been for him with others.
“I would 100 percent recommend the Legends Games to everyone my age and older!” said Jarvis. “It's the best motivator ever to stay in shape. You're never too old to compete or get back in shape. If anything it's the opposite. You're too old not to!”
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