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SPRINGFIELD - At 76 years old, Harriet Patch can put a shot weighing 8.8 pounds almost 20 feet. She can hurl a discus almost 40 feet. And she can throw a javelin 36 feet. Patch has a lot to show for her role as a senior athlete over the past 12 years, including a dozen gold and silver (but mostly gold) medals from games throughout New England. This week she'll be representing the Commonwealth at the Summer National Senior Games in Louisville, Ky., as a flag bearer in the opening ceremonies. "I would recommend any senior to get into sports," Patch said. "Just go out and try it." A native of Springfield, the only sport Patch played while attending Cathedral High School was candlepin bowling. "They just didn't have sports for women back then," she said. Patch started working with Barbara Francisco, a former coach of Springfield College, over a decade ago when she was originally interested in becoming a legitimate senior athlete. When in training, Patch is in the gym working out two hours a day, three days a week. She's competed in every New England state as well as in North Carolina at the American Track and Field Olympics. She's traveled to Senior Games in Tucson, Ariz., Disneyworld and Philadelphia. "I make a lot of friends at these events," she said. "I really enjoy this. And I always go there to do my best." When going to competitions, she travels with friends from Connecticut, New Hampshire and Rhode Island. "If it weren't for them, I probably wouldn't be doing this," she admitted. "I consider them my family." She has a goal to continue to compete. "Hopefully, I can keep going another five or 10 years," she said. Patch worked at MassMutual for 42 years, first as a key punch operator and later as a supervisor. She finished her career as a security guard. While working there, she kept active by golfing in a women's league and joining a ski club. After the games in Louisville, Patch will be taking a month-long vacation to the Dutch Caribbean to relax and visit with her old coach. "Barbara is like the sister I never had," she said. | ||||||
