By Claudia Loucks
Geneseo Current

Mike Cherry has competed in the Quad City Senior Olympics since 2008, and will be participating again this year, on Saturday, June 1, at Augustana College. He has won medals every year, but this year he will receive more than medals.

Eighty-six-year-old Cherry will be competing in the track and field events Saturday afternoon, after which he will be inducted into the Quad City Senior Olympics Hall of Fame.

He said the dinner ceremony will begin at 4:30 in the Ken Anderson building on the Augustana College football field.

In the years he has competed, Cherry has captured medals in the high jump, shot put, weight throws, discus and javelin.

“There are always lots of different events to try at the Olympics,” he said, “and I like to try pretty much everything in the track and field division.”

“I used to do some of the running events and once when I started the 50-yard dash, I took off and fell down, so no more running events,” he said.

Having received close to 100 medals in the years he has competed, Cherry said it isn’t just the medals, but the fact that so many of his family members attend the competition.

“My daughter-in-law-Karen Cherry had red shirts made that read “Team Cherry” on the front.

When asked how he keeps in shape to be able to compete in the athletic events, he said, “I am busy all the time, doing gardening and woodworking and I just keep busy. I don’t like to just sit around.”

He was out for track and competed in the high jump, mile run and two-mile relay when he was a student at Geneseo High School (formerly JD Darnall High School). He graduated in 1957, and he and his wife Mary Jo, are parents to two sons, Mark (Karen) Cherry, Anthony, FL; and Mick (Teresa) Cherry, Geneseo; five grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.

Prior to his retirement, Cherry worked in construction and later was assistant manager at Blain’s Farm & Fleet in Geneseo for 20 years.