Four Former Stanford Hospital Patients to Compete in Senior Games
Randall Stafford, MD, PhD, only had his new kidney for nine months when he competed in the 1984 World Transplant Games, but his participation in the Games fueled a passion for competition that continues to this day. Stafford is now a competitor in the 2009 National Senior Games, to be held August 1-15 at Stanford University. He will compete in the Senior Games along with three other patient-athletes.
Stanford Hospital & Clinics is a proud sponsor of the 2009 National Senior Games. More than 30,000 visitors from around the country are expected to attend. The competition includes 10,000 athletes age 50 and over competing in 25 sporting events. The Hospital will provide medical services to the athletes and offer lectures and activities on health and peak performance.
Stafford, who will compete in all four cycling races at the Senior Games, has been riding the hills of his native Palo Alto since youth. “I enjoy the camaraderie of being with others who are intent on preserving their quality of life as they grow older,” said Stafford, an associate professor at Stanford and Director of the Program on Prevention Outcomes at Stanford Hospital & Clinics. “Daily physical activity plays a key role in preventing many health problems.”
Stafford was diagnosed with kidney disease in 1982, yet completed a 100-mile bicycle ride while still on dialysis in 1983. He went on to compete in seven Transplant Games and six U.S. National Games before his second kidney transplant in 2005, completed at Stanford Medical Center. Stafford also regularly competes in triathlons and race-walking.
Former Stanford Hospital patients Greg Baker, Claudia Simpson, and Chris Simpson will also compete in the Senior Games.
Greg Baker’s return to the Senior Games and to Stanford is a full circle story. He won the javelin throw in the 2007 Games in Louisville despite early symptoms of what was eventually diagnosed as a pituitary tumor. In January 2008, doctors at Stanford Hospital & Clinics removed the tumor and Baker has been healthy ever since. He’ll compete again this summer, though with an approach altered by his medical experience. “It’s been a challenge to learn to adapt and slow down,” said Baker, a Louisiana insurance agent, “I am rethinking how to live and compete – just to be in the Games is enough.”
Photo courtesy of Maryland Senior Olympics
Claudia Simpson will return to her birthplace and celebrate her birthday when she competes in the Senior Games at Stanford this summer. Born at Stanford Hospital & Clinics on August 1 almost 58 years ago, Simpson moved east as a child and ran track in high school. She also survived breast cancer. She’ll compete in a total of 11 events – six at the track and five in the pool. “I run for fun, fitness and to literally follow in the footsteps of my parents,” Simpson said. “They participated in the Senior Games until my mother died in 1993.” When not training, she teaches yoga to private clients and in hospitals.
Chris Simpson had so much fun watching her sister Claudia compete at the 2007 Senior Games in Louisville that she decided to compete at Stanford in some of the same swimming events. A Vermont resident, Simpson trains for 30 minutes daily in an aquatic treadmill in her basement. “It’s how I keep my sanity as a school teacher during the long winters,” Simpson said. In addition to celebrating a return to their birthplace – Chris was also born at Stanford Hospital & Clinics – the sisters will hold a memorial during the Games for their parents, who met in the San Francisco Bay area.
For a complete schedule of Stanford Hospital & Clinics’ lectures and activities, visit stanfordhospital.org/seniorgames. For more information on the Senior Games, visit www.2009seniorgames.org.
About Stanford Hospital & Clinics
Stanford Hospital & Clinics is known worldwide for advanced treatment of complex disorders in areas such as cardiovascular care, cancer treatment, neurosciences, surgery, and organ transplants. Consistently ranked among the top institutions in the U.S. News & World Report annual list of "America's Best Hospitals," Stanford Hospital & Clinics is internationally recognized for translating medical breakthroughs into the care of patients. It is part of the Stanford University Medical Center, along with the Stanford University School of Medicine and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford. For more information, visit http://stanfordmedicine.org.