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Redefining Aging with Senior Athletes
Angela Bassett
Actor & Sideline RSV Spokesperson

ANGELA BASSETT: “Hello, I’m Angela Bassett, and I”

TEXT ON SCREEN:
Redefining Aging with Senior Athletes
Angela Bassett
Angela is a paid spokesperson for GSK

ANGELA BASSETT: “hope you’re ready to be inspired as we redefine aging with senior athletes. The National Senior Games is the largest multi-sport qualifying event in the world. Thousands of athletes from age 50 to over 100 come together for comradery, competition, and community. They compete in more than 20 sports, and while a gold medal finish is the goal of many, they are all victorious just by showing up. Together, they're providing a blueprint for happy and healthy aging.”

CROWD: “All right, Flo! Woo woo!”

ANGELA BASSETT: “Recently, I was honored to meet four inspiring senior athletes, some of whom”

JULIE: [Underneath Angela speaking]: “Hi, I’m Julie, I’m from California.”

ANGELA BASSETT: “live with respiratory issues, but they haven't let that keep them from engaging in the sports they enjoy. They're motivated to proactively manage their health, to help prevent being sidelined by a respiratory illness, like severe RSV, that could keep them from doing the things they love. These are their stories as they prepare for and compete in the National Senior Games. I hope they inspire you as much as they have inspired me.”

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RSV = Respiratory Syncytial Virus

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Redefining Aging with Senior Athletes presented by GSK

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HOPE

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INSPIRATION

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POSSIBILITY

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Redefining Aging with Senior Athletes presented by GSK

CROWD: “Yay!”

ANGELA BASSETT: “Over 12,000 athletes from all 50 states have come to Des Moines, Iowa for the 2025 National Senior Games. Some are former Olympians and college stars, but the majority are weekend warriors.”

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Redefining Aging with Senior Athletes presented by GSK
Carole Age 63 Hometown San Jose, CA Sport Track & Field (Discus, Hammer, Javelin)

ANGELA BASSETT: “People like Carole, who have used organized sports to help them cope with serious health challenges and are now committed to the kind of preventative healthcare practices that can keep them in the game”

NARRATOR: “Carole is a world-ranked track and field athlete. Her specialty is the hammer throw.”

CAROLE: “There it is.”

NARRATOR: “Until recently, Carole had never even thought about competing in the National Senior Games, let alone winning national championships.”

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Carole, 63 Track and Field. Carole is a paid spokesperson for GSK.

CAROLE: “It was nowhere on my radar. In my late 40s, I started to feel fatigue. I started to have muscle and joint pain. It took till about 50 before someone recognized that I had rheumatoid arthritis, a disease that affects the joints, but it can also affect the heart and lungs.”

NARRATOR: “Carole began to improve her daily lifestyle, but her asthma, her compromised immune system, and her age all put her at increased risk for severe respiratory syncytial virus or RSV, a common contagious virus. In older adults, including those with underlying conditions, RSV can cause severe infections in the lungs and airways.”

CAROLE: “I was diagnosed with RSV in 2017. When I had it, it was difficult to breathe. I have a chronic illness and so I've been sick before, but I didn't see this one coming.”

NARRATOR: “After experiencing RSV, Carole had a renewed focus on health and began having more proactive conversations with her doctor, including ways to prevent severe infection.”

CAROLE: “So I talked to my doctor about receiving RSV vaccination.”

NARRATOR: “After talking with her doctor, Carole decided to get vaccinated against RSV. A few months later, she saw a story about a competitive swimmer that changed the trajectory of her life.”

CAROLE: “She'd set records, and she'd won a certain amount of medals in the Senior Olympics. And I said, "Wait, that's a thing?" And so then, immediately I grabbed my laptop and I started looking and I said, "Well, if they got swimming, they probably have track and field. I think that's something I'd like to try."”

NARRATOR: “In her late 50s, Carole took up the javelin, the discus, and the hammer throw.”

CAROLE: “It was seeing someone that was over 50 that decided that she wasn't going to let being over 50 stop her from living. And that resonated with me because that's how I feel.”

NARRATOR: “Carole has three sons and knows that her example can have a tremendous impact on their future.”

CAROLE: “I want them to see that age is not a reason to give up their goals or to not pursue something new. Come on, let's go. I want my grandkids to know that grandma can catch you. You're not getting away. Wee! Wee. You're going faster.”

SYDNEY: “She loves to take the kids to the park”

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Sydney Carole’s Daughter-in-law

SYDNEY: “And she even bought them a mini javelin, that way they could get a little bit of exposure to what grandma does.”

NARRATOR: “Carole won a bronze medal in her age group at the 2024 World Championships and a silver medal at the National Senior Games here in Des Moines.”

CROWD: “Yes, yes! Nice!”

NARRATOR: “But she already achieved her biggest goal before making a single throw.”

CAROLE: “It's been a road, but it's been a road of gratitude. Sometimes we take that for granted. Even right now, I have to remember that. I have to remember that when I had RSV, I couldn't even be here. So the fact that I'm standing here as an athlete says a lot. Today is a day of gratitude. The life lesson for me that I've learned is be grateful for opportunities. Make the most of them. And when you do, leave a little something behind for somebody else that they can inspire somebody else, even if it's just a wave or great job or a smile. So I think that's the moral of the story.”

ANGELA BASSETT: “Carole has gone from not wanting to get up to refusing to give up. Being proactive about her health, including vaccination against severe RSV, has helped Carole stay well so she can maintain an active lifestyle. She's a great example that it's never too late to pursue your passions.”

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Redefining Aging with Senior Athletes SidelineRSV.com Visit to learn more

ANGELA BASSETT: “To learn more about RSV and the questions to ask at your next healthcare appointment, I encourage you to visit SidelineRSV.com.”

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COMING UP Redefining Aging with Senior Athletes

ANGELA BASSETT: “Coming up, we're diving into the pool with Julie, who didn't discover her love for swimming until her 60s and is now competing at the national level and inspiring all those around her to dive into life.”

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Redefining Aging with Senior Athletes presented by GSK

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Redefining Aging with Senior Athletes presented by GSK

ANGELA BASSETT: “Welcome back to "Redefining Aging with Senior Athletes," presented by GSK. Active, older adults, like those at the National Senior Games, are powerful examples of a new life stage that's filled with potential, an opportunity to continue pursuing our passions.”

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Redefining Aging with Senior Athletes Angela Bassett

Actor & Sideline RSV Spokesperson

 

TEXT ON SCREEN:
Redefining Aging with Senior Athletes Angela Bassett
Angela is a paid spokesperson for GSK

ANGELA BASETT: “Compared to previous generations, they've turned back the clock by staying active, socially connected, and doing all they can to help prevent the kind of health issues that could put them on the sidelines.”

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REDEFINING AGING WITH SENIOR ATHLETES presented by GSK JULIE AGE 64 HOMETOWN Fremont, CA SPORT swimming

ANGELA BASSETT: “Athletes just like Julie, a 64-year-old swimmer from California who didn't start swimming competitively until just a few years ago. For Julie, swimming has quickly become a life-changing passion that has led to stronger family bonds and a renewed outlook on life.”

DRAKE: “Take your marks. Hut.”

JULIE: “In my mid 50s, I was not in the best situation. I was depressed. I had gained a lot of weight. I was inactive. I was in a lot of pain, you know, on a daily basis, and I was struggling to find something that I could do to kind of just break out of that. About two and a half years ago, I found swimming, which if you had asked me a long time ago, I would've said, "No way." But once I sort of started to explore it for myself, I just fell in love with it.”

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Julie, 64 Swimmer. Julie is a paid spokesperson for GSK.

DRAKE: “You want to angle your back from hips to shoulders where you want to go, like you're aiming an arrow.”

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Drake Swim coach

DRAKE: “She found us online and she showed up on the pool deck and was like, ‘Here I am. Let's do this."

JULIE: “When I get in that water, mentally, I'm just in a completely different space.”

NARRATOR: “Swimming was a sport Julie watched for years as her son Michael swam on teams from childhood through college. Now it was his turn to be a spectator and cheer his mom on.”

MICHAEL: “I was shocked when she said she had”

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Michael Julie’s son

MICHAEL: “joined a swim team. I was like uhh, what are you talking about?"

JULIE: “It was just this role reversal and he was here and he's like, "You did a great job, Mom," and he's putting the towel on and then I got some medals and he's like, "Let me take some pictures of you." It was a really special time. It was just the two of us.”

NARRATOR: “Julie swims in spite of health issues that make it a challenge. She has chronic pain from old soccer injuries and developed asthma, a condition that puts her at increased risk for severe RSV and makes her ever mindful of taking preventative steps to avoid respiratory infections.”

JULIE: “My doctor told me that if I were to be infected with RSV, that would make that situation much more complicated for myself, including a higher risk of hospitalization, and that's not something that I'm interested in at all. I got vaccinated so I can help to avoid getting sick with severe RSV and continue supporting others in my family. I'm a caregiver to my aunt, who lives next door. She's 88 years old and she has a chronic respiratory condition. So it's important for me to stay as healthy as I can stay so that I can give as much as I can of myself to support her with her needs.”

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Katherine Julie’s aunt

KATHERINE: “It's wonderful to have her next door. It's a great source 'cause I'm by myself, so. All I have to do is pick up the phone and she's there for me, which is a great help.”

NARRATOR: “Julie once thought that her days as an athlete ended in college, but now that she's qualified for the National Senior Games, it's game on once again.”

DRAKE: “Oh, I think she's ready. Yeah, I mean, mindset's everything, and she's always so ready to go.”

NARRATOR: “Unfortunately, Julie fractured two ribs just a few weeks before arriving in Des Moines, but she was determined to enjoy the experience that she worked so hard to achieve.”

JULIE: “Well, I just kind of put it together and lowered my expectations and I was able to dive and do all the turns, and I was really proud that I was able to change my exercise routine and figure out a way to make it work so that I could compete. And of course, I wasn't competing at the level that I would've liked to compete, but I was able to come and be here and have this experience, and I'm so happy that I was able to do that. I beat my time.”

ANGELA BASSETT: “Swimming helped Julie find her way forward.”

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COMING UP REDEFINING AGING WITH SENIOR ATHLETES

ANGELA BASSETT: “Coming up, see how a love of golf created a family and provided the motivation to battle a serious health setback. We're hitting the links next on "Redefining Aging with Senior Athletes presented by GSK.”

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REDEFINING AGING WITH SENIOR ATHLETES presented by GSK

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REDEFINING AGING WITH SENIOR ATHLETES presented by GSK

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REDEFINING AGING WITH SENIOR ATHLETES ANGELA BASSETT Actor & Sideline RSV Spokesperson

ANGELA BASSETT: “Inspiration is everywhere at the National Senior Games, where people from age 50 to over 100 continue to rewrite the record books and expand the boundaries of possibility for all. Welcome back to "Redefining Aging with Senior Athletes," presented by GSK. Whether we want to become athletes or not, these competitors are providing us all with a roadmap for a longer and healthier life. As different as they all are, they share three things in common. Regular physical activity, strong social connections, and ongoing preventative healthcare practices. GSK's Dr. Leonard Friedland has more on the keys to happy and healthy aging.”

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Dr. Leonard Friedland Vice President, Director, Scientific Affairs and Public Health, GSK Vaccines

DR. LEN: “As we age, our immune systems decline. We're more apt if we get an infection to get a serious outcome from it. And so in addition to exercise and social connections, sleep, good diet, prevention is so important. One particular disease that we're focused in on is respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, and RSV is a common contagious virus. As we get older, the risk of getting severe RSV infections increases. In the United States, there's approximately 177,000 hospitalizations caused by RSV each year, and of those, 14,000 people will die from RSV every year. People at highest risk for RSV include adults over the age of 50, especially those who have some underlying medical conditions, such as COPD, asthma, and congestive heart failure. If they get a case of RSV, they can get very, very ill.”

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COPD = Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

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The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends RSV vaccination for everyone 75 years and older and for adults 50 through 74 years of age who are at increased risk of severe RSV disease.

DR. LEN: “And if you're 50, you should speak with your doctor, speak with your pharmacist, see if you have some of the underlying risk factors that could put you at increased risk for severe outcomes from RSV and then discuss vaccinations that may be an appropriate option for you. And so I think the whole picture of exercise, social connections, and prevention is a key to staying healthy.”

ANGELA BASSETT: “The National Senior Games is not just a national sports competition. It's proof that it's never too late to get off the couch and get into an activity you love.”

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REDEFINING AGING WITH SENIOR ATHLETES presented by GSK MICHAEL AGE 60 HOMETOWN Auburndale, FL SPORT Golf

ANGELA BASSETT: “For Michael, that activity is golf. The game has given him a lifetime of special moments. It's led to lifelong friendships, a loving marriage, and a growing family. It's even saved him when he felt like staying in bed.”

CROWD: “That's in the hole. - Yeah! Woo!”

NARRATOR: “Michael is more than your average golfer. An amateur has a 12,500 to one chance of recording a single hole in one. Mike has had 10, including on a par four.”

MICHAEL: “Here it is, right there. Mwah!”

 NARRATOR: “He arrived in Des Moines with extra motivation for a gold medal, fresh off a silver medal finish at the last National Senior Games.”

 MICHAEL: “We all want to win. I mean, that's why you're there.”

TEXT ON SCREEN: Michael 60, Golf

MICHAEL: “Yes, I expect to win, but that's not my priority. My identity is not tied up in my golf score.”

NARRATOR: “Mike is a former college baseball star who also had the honor of carrying the Olympic torch before the 1996 games. As he's aged, asthma has challenged his active lifestyle, but nothing has sidelined him like a severe battle with RSV.”

MICHAEL: “RSV just flat knocked me out. I had to go to the ER twice because my RSV was so severe, my oxygen levels were low, and I had to have breathing treatments.”

NARRATOR: “Mike's battle with RSV inspired him to take charge of his personal health. He decided to be more physically active, which for him meant more time on the golf course.”

BROOKE: “Golf honestly saved him. His rough days, I don't know what that would look like if he didn't have such a love and passion for golf to get him outside, to get him up.”

TEXT ON SCREEN: Brooke Michael’s daughter

MICHAEL: “Really, the Games was what motivated me to get off my butt and start moving.”

TEXT ON SCREEN: Morgan Michael’s daughter

MORGAN: “Once he sets his mind to something, he finishes it. No matter what trials and tribulations come.”

MICHAEL: “My doctor told me, because I have asthma, I'm at an increased risk for severe RSV. And so I went to my doctor and he recommended to be vaccinated.”

BROOKE: “Oh, good job!”

NARRATOR: “Golf was there for Mike when he needed it most, spurring him to get back on his feet, and now he's sharing his passion with his five daughters and 11 grandchildren.”

MICHAEL: “The kids will hear what you say, but they're gonna watch what you do. And it's the same way with the grandkids. They see us playing golf, and so now they want to play golf. So we definitely have a responsibility to them to carry on and maintain.”

NARRATOR: “His family's infatuation with the game stems back to a fateful lesson more than 20 years ago when Mike was an instructor at a local golf club and first met Deborah.”

TEXT ON SCREEN: Deborah Michael’s wife

DEBORAH: “I was playing in the state amateur and needed some help. Mike was working at the golf course that we would practice at.”

MICHAEL: “So she came in and I'm like, "Hmm, she's cute and she's nice."”

DEBORAH: “He would sit there, and he'd put the ball on the tee, and I'd hit it, and I just fell in love with him right then. Woo!”

MICHAEL: “Good shot. Look at you. She's absolutely my most favorite person to play golf with, and so it's brought our marriage together and stronger.”

 NARRATOR: “The National Senior Games became another opportunity for Mike to showcase his resiliency. Just a week before arriving in Des Moines, he was battling a sinus infection. But with his doctor's clearance, he teed off against many of the nation's best. Although he didn't receive a medal, he returns home with a well learned sense of pride and an even greater excitement for the many matches and victories still ahead.”

MICHAEL: “To be a National Senior Games athlete to me is important because it gives me a direction, a drive. It has changed my whole focus on everything I do. It's not about the medal, it's about forcing yourself to overcome what's happening to make yourself a better person. It's called fortitude, you know, and determination. You have to just, you gotta see the obstacle and just do your best to overcome it. Today, the obstacle got me, but tomorrow I'm gonna get it.”

ANGELA BASSETT: “Michael has made every shot count and you can too. It's never too late to get in the game.”

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COMING UP

REDEFINING AGING WITH SENIOR ATHLETES

ANGELA BASSETT: “Coming up, the power of pickleball. We're picking up a paddle with Shawn as Redefining Aging with Senior Athletes," presented by GSK, continues.”

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REDEFINING AGING WITH SENIOR ATHLETES

presented by GSK

ANGELA BASSETT: “The fastest growing sport in the world is now pickleball. It's also the number one sport at the National Senior Games in terms of overall competitors. It's growing so fast because anyone of any age can learn to play and enjoy it almost immediately.”

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REDEFINING AGING WITH SENIOR ATHLETES
presented by GSK
SHAWN AGE 62 HOMETOWN Oceanside, CA SPORT Pickleball

ANGELA BASSETT: “Like most of the competitors here, 62-year-old Shawn from California found the game later in life after her son invited her to play.”

SHAWN: “Six, one, one.”

NARRATOR: “Shawn is enjoying her regular pickup game with her twin sons, Brent and Blake, and her friend, Dawn”

BLAKE: “Two, six, two.”

NARRATOR: “It was Blake who first introduced the game to Shawn.”

SHAWN: “He came home one weekend and said, "Oh my gosh, Mom,””

TEXT ON SCREEN: Shawn, 62 Pickleball. Shawn is a paid spokesperson for GSK.

SHAWN: “I've gotta show you this game. It's amazing. You're gonna love it." And he was right. I loved it.”

NARRATOR: “Shawn's competitive nature quickly took her game beyond family and friends and a decades long battle with asthma became an increasing concern.”

SHAWN: “I didn't have asthma until I was in my 20s and I started having some breathing issues. The worst one was probably when my boys, when my twins were four, and I had a really bad attack, couldn't breathe.”

TEXT ON SCREEN: Blake Shawn’s son

BLAKE: “And we actually had to call 911 to get 'em to come save her.”

SHAWN: “I've learned that having asthma can put me at risk for a severe RSV infection. That's pretty scary. Having RSV could have a giant impact on the things that I'm doing and wanna be doing. Two of my boys are getting married in the next year, and I can't imagine having something like RSV, being in the hospital or being sick enough that I couldn't maybe attend the wedding. So I definitely plan on talking to my doctor about RSV and possible vaccination. Oh, and that's game!”

NARRATOR: “Besides family, friends, and pickleball, Shawn has a passion for mission work.”

SHAWN: “We do meal packing events here in the States. And then I go to Ecuador. I work in very, very rural communities with children who have no roads, no running water, no doors and windows on their buildings, and we're able to bring meals to them. I think as we age, we think that you start losing your purpose, that we can't have the impact that we had when we were younger. And I think I actually have way more now.”

NARRATOR: “Shawn has a supportive life partner in her husband Joe, who accompanies her to most tournaments.”

SHAWN: “I'm pretty fortunate. We've been married a long time now, almost 39 years. We're starting to have a lot of fun together, which is kind of cool. We're not gonna be the old people sitting around, watching TV and just growing old. I wanna be able to show my kids that no matter how old you are, you can still do the things that bring you joy, bring you fulfillment.”

NARRATOR: “That determination has carried Shawn all the way to the National Senior Games, and while she isn't taking home a medal, she is returning with something far more valuable.”

SHAWN: “Yeah, I'm really competitive, so getting a taste of a tournament and doing well, you know, just makes me want to go more and more places. And to be able to travel like this and see different places and meet different people and just experience this on a really different level is kind of fun and exciting.”

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REDEFINING AGING WITH SENIOR ATHLETES
ANGELA BASSETT
Actor & Sideline RSV Spokesperson

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REDEFINING AGING WITH SENIOR ATHLETES
ANGELA BASSETT
Angela is a paid spokesperson for GSK

ANGELA BASSETT: “We've introduced you to just four of the over 12,000 athletes competing at the National Senior Games. Together, they're redefining aging and providing a simple playbook for active longevity. Find an activity that you enjoy and keeps you physically and socially active. And take a lesson from Carole, Julie, Michael, and Shawn, and be proactive about your health.”

SHAWN: “I would encourage you to go to SidelineRSV.com.”

MICHAEL: “There's some incredible resources there that you can educate yourself on RSV.”

JULIE: “It has questions that'll help you to have a conversation with your doctor.”

SHAWN: “Download the materials and take them with you to your next appointment.”

CAROLE: “I do not wanna be sidelined. I do not wanna be sick. I do not wanna be slowed down. I want to be at my best for every aspect of my life, but particularly athletics, I take that seriously.”

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Visit SidelineRSV.com to learn more
Presented by GSK
Produced in association with Growing Bolder and the National Senior Games Association.
Intended for US audiences only.
Trademarks are property of their respective owners.
©2025 GSK or licensor.
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Produced in USA.