Get the Competitive Juices Flowing

Pepper Taylor, 57, Smoky Mountain Senior Games

Pepper Taylor has been participating in North Carolina Senior Games for 7 years, starting when he turned 50. He was part of Senior Games prior to participating as the Director of Recreation for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) in Cherokee, NC. He participates in track and field, basketball tournament, golf, and pickleball, his favorites being golf and basketball. 

Pepper has been playing basketball his whole life, in school and recreationally. He and his family moved around until the age of 12, when they settled in Cherokee. He played on his ship’s team when he served in the Navy for 5 years. Then he continued to play in Rec Leagues, and now, Senior Games.

He says he originally started participating in Senior Games because it was free! EBCI employees get paid time off to participate, including going to Nationals. But the the competition is what kept him playing. “The thing is, then it gets your competitive juices flowing once you get out there and start participating,” he says. “The competitiveness gets you back to where you used to be.” In addition to participating himself, he also enjoys watching the age groups above him participate and be active. “It's just watching the older people in their 70s and 80s,” he says, “I just enjoying watching some of the older athletes get with it and how they take care of themselves.”

His advice to those starting out in Senior Games? “Like everybody else, they need to practice!” And if you have the same competitive drive as he does, do a little research. “I always research see how many were in that sport in my age group look at the state and see ‘Oh this is what I need to throw I take it to Nationals,’” he says “I will go on research and look and see what people have done and see where I need to be.”

Pepper has been to all 3 National Senior Games since he has been a participant, and is looking forward so going to the 2021 National Games in Florida.