Thousands of athletes coming to Southern Utah to compete in the 37th Annual Huntsman World Senior Games

Nearly 12,000 athletes from around the world are gathering in Southern Utah to compete in the 37th Annual Huntsman World Senior Games, including Eric Johnson. Johnson will be competing in his 13th Huntsman Games, but this time, he’s not only a participant but also a Hall of Fame Inductee.

“It’s exciting people have trained all year long to come compete at the Huntsman World Senior Games in many different sports, they’re in the top of their conditioning and people are ready to give their best and all-out efforts including myself,” Johnson said.

Johnson hopes his efforts are enough to win gold medals in all three of his races — the 1500 meter race walk, 3000 meter race walk, and 5,000 meter race walk.

“As I get closer to the Huntsman Games I start doing more speed work, I drop a little weight, and I get as fit as possible because I know I’ll be racing the best people from around the world,” Johnson said.

Johnson prioritizes fitness for himself and other seniors, which is why, he teaches chairobics and weightlifting to residents at The Ridge Foothill once a week. The fitness-savvy residents appreciate his classes, as he uses low-impact exercises to encourage them to be their best selves.

“I believe that you can reinvent yourself at any age,” Johnson said. “You can pick yourself up off the couch and go be as physically fit as you want to be to be able to do whatever you need to do.”

Johnson will be in Southern Utah throughout the week and then will return home to focus on his other athletic aspirations.