Senior Olympian still going strong
GREAT FALLS native Tom Selstad returns an offering during the Senior Olympic competition Thursday afternoon at the Polson Tennis Courts at Linderman Elementary School. (Jason Blasco/Lake County Leader)
Senior Olympian tennis player Tom Selstad began taking up the sport 25 years ago, in his mid 60s.
Selstad, a Great Falls resident, said he was inspired to take up the sport when he was “dragging” his son - who played at Great Falls High School, the University of Montana and Cal State-Heyward - to play at multiple tennis tournaments.
Selstad, who played basketball for the University of Montana Grizzlies from 1946-1950, said after watching his son, he felt tennis would be a sport he would be able to partake in.
“After watching my son, I thought to myself ‘Oh heck I could do this,” Selstad said.
Selstad, who is now 90 years-old, has qualified and participated in the National Senior Olympics in San Francisco and Cleveland.
“It was natural for me to want to play,” Selstad admitted. “I started playing tennis when I got too old for playing softball.”
Selstad has a list of accolades to his credit since his first-ever United States Tennis Association Tournament in Vancouver, Wash.
“Playing in a USTA tournament was a lot of fun,” Selstad said. “I play for fun but it’s kind of fun when you win too.”
Selstad, who was a high school basketball coach and coached Fairfield to its first-ever Class-B state championship title in 1954, said he utilizes tennis as an outlet to fuel his competitive edge.
“I feel like I have to do something and I just have to keep moving,” Selstad said.