Step up and claim your Olympic medal awarded after each event. There is something for everyone at the Northern Virginia Senior Olympics (NVSO), set to begin Sept. 18 with the opening ceremony at the Thomas Jefferson Community Center in Arlington at 9:30 a.m.

More than 50 events will be offered, from swimming, tennis and the softball throw to jigsaw puzzle and bowling. Although some past events will no longer be offered this year, crossword and table tennis doubles have been added.

Herb Levitan, this year’s event director, says NVSO eliminated events this year such as bridge and Mexican train dominoes where people had to sit close together. Levitan has been competing himself since around 2007. He says it’s good to try new things and even though you see the other competitors once a year, you make friends for sure.

The events will be offered at 17 community centers, parks, schools and clubs from Sept. 18th-30th, beginning with the 1600 meter run and ending with bocce and horseshoes. Participants must be 50 years old by Dec. 31, 2021 and live in the counties of Fairfax, Arlington, Loudoun, Fauquier, Prince William and the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax and Falls Church.

This is the 39th season for Northern Virginia Senior Olympics, and a number of participants have been competing for years. Some have returned to a college sport while others have retired and taken on a new challenge. Some enter as many as 10-12 events and train most of the year while others join an event with a friend and just for fun.

Registration this year is online only, with a $15 registration fee which covers multiple events. Registration closes Monday, Sept. 6 It is expected that all participants will have been vaccinated against COVID-19 and will follow all protocols during the competition.

See https://nvso.us/ to register and for a schedule of events.