Martha Roberts Roper ’70 (pictured at right) proved herself the best woman pole vaulter over age 50 at the National Senior Olympics in June. Her gold medal performance was the culmination of several years of training, brought about by a victory over breast cancer in 1994. She first tried the pole vault in the spring of 2002; the event allowed her to combine her love of athletic competition, running and gymnastics. “I had never pole vaulted before. Girls didn’t have the opportunity to play competitive sports when I was school,” Roper explained. So she sought advice from a colleague at the Manchester, Mo., high school where she teaches health. Once she had reached the age of 50, Roper began competing in local and state Senior Olympics. By age 55, she qualified for the biennial national competition, where she took gold. “I had never been so excited or nervous,” she said of the national contest, while noting it allowed her to focus her energy in a positive direction. “It has given me so much confidence.”