Kearney's Mindy Barratt gets Olympic Training, wins Senior Games throws

Mindy Barratt was 52 years old, and out of athletics since high school, with no plans to return ever since.

Then, she found something online that caught her eye.

Her daughter, Morgan, throws discus for Pleasanton, so Barratt began looking for camps in Nebraska when she stumbled upon something— the Nebraska Senior Games.

She saw they had a discus and shot put category. Initially thinking of the games as an activity for the future, upon clicking she found out about the 50-54 age bracket, and decided to enter. 

She placed high in the shot put and discus, qualifying for the national senior games in Pittsburgh, despite having not thrown since junior high.

That changed before nationals, when her daughter found out about a camp helmed by Payton Otterdahl, who threw shot put for the United States at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and Nick Ponzio, who threw for Italy.

Barratt decided the take the opportunity to train with her daughter and has been coached, primarily by Ponzio ever since, with her first two sessions taking place before nationals.

"If Morgan's training, maybe I could do some of it too," Barratt said. "He thought it was really neat and unique, and he now knows this is something that he can do down the line too,"

She placed in every event in Pittsburgh, including earning a third-place medal.

Perks also included a parade of athletes at PNC Park during a Pittsburgh Pirates game, similar to the Olympic opening ceremonies.

Training continued over the next year until the Nebraska Senior Games, with Barratt relearning the fundamentals.

"A big portion of it for me was opening the hips up so when I go to turn instead of throwing with my arm I'm using my whole body," Barratt said. "Little tweaks made a big distance in how much distance I was getting,"

The training helped Barratt reach personal bests, and take first place again in the shot put with a 25'06 5/8'' in the shot put, and finishing in second with a 65' 5 1/8'' in the discus, six inches away from first place.

Although this wasn't a qualifying year for nationals, Barratt continues to get more out of the sport, including connecting with her daughter.

They have a throwing ring in the backyard, so they can throw together without leaving the house.

"She thinks its great, she can encourage me and I can encourage her," Barrat said.

The encouragement and competition helps her stay with it, with future goals  keeping the throws fun, instead of feeling like exercise or work.

"It's just a way to exercise, because to me exercise is so boring," Barratt said. "But if you're training to compete it's this extra motivation to actually get out and do something,"

Another source of motivation within the sport is meeting new and inspiring people, including those competing in their 80s, 90s, and even an 100 year old.

"I'm hoping other people see that just because you hit that big old 50 it doesn't mean that you have to shrivel up," Barratt said. "People are still getting out there and doing these things even at an age where our society says we aren't able to do these things,"

Barratt also does swimming events, practicing at the YMCA whenever she finds time, and hopes to qualify for nationals in the breaststroke next year.

In town, Barratt is a physician in Kearney, who balances her job with training, and raising two kids at home.

In her office, she has a box full of medals and ribbons she's won from the past two years of local and national senior games.

The goal for next year— collect more to the point where she needs another box. With a training regimen, good training partners and a clear goal in mind, Barratt continues to be an example what the senior games can do.