SaddleBrooke resident Bob Shelton (left) and former SaddleBrooke residents, Barbara Gallagher (center) and Larry Gallagher (right), display their medals from the recent pickleball competition at the Huntsman World Senior Games in Utah.
Mark Van Matre
Bob Shelton, a retired Tucson dentist and SaddleBrooke resident, received two bronze medals in the pickleball competition at the Huntsman World Senior Games held October 10 through the 18, 2014, in St. George, Utah.
Shelton won his first bronze medal in Men’s Skill Doubles for the 3.5 skill level (ages 65 and up) with his partner Larry Gallagher who is a former SaddleBrooke resident. Gallagher also won the gold medal with his wife Barbara in the mixed doubles competition for Division B (70 to 74 age group). Shelton won his second bronze medal in the Men’s Doubles competition for Division A (70 to 74 age group) with his partner Vic Avery.
In an exclusive interview with this reporter, Shelton confided he has spent years analyzing winning and losing in sports and has concluded, in his words, “It is more fun to win than to lose.”
Other SaddleBrooke residents who participated in the Huntsman games were Ken and Lou Powers, Bob and Jodie Koerner, Pete and Diana Giljohann, Mark and Joan Van Matre and Julie Wagner.
The Huntsman World Senior Games is an annual event held for athletes in several sports in St. George. For the pickleball games participants came from 19 states to play. There were 530 players who played a total of 1,350 matches during the week.