Active Track Options

We’re excited to offer these opportunities for the Active Track for Senior Saints 2023. Please review the options and indicate your interest on the Registration form at the bottom of the page, or click the Registration “Quick Link” in the blue box. Please note that each person should register separately, since some couples may choose different activities. Thanks! This will help us get an accurate count and plan well for you.

Leaders: Richard Clark, Vice President for Advancement & Daniel Overdorf, Professor of Pastoral Ministry and Director of Preaching Program at JUTN

“When I first started attempting golf, I would say that ‘I get paid to be frustrated, so I don’t need to pay good money to add to it.’ Then I started playing with some older men in my church who didn’t keep score, and when, at the end of the day, I only remembered the good shots I concluded it was mostly about hanging out with guys you liked being around anyway. I decided to continue.”

Daniel Overdorf has been playing golf since he was twelve years old. He learned by knocking around plastic golf balls in the back yard with his neighbor. Though his handicap remains much higher than it should be, he enjoys playing with friends and enjoys the community and refreshment it offers.

Details:

Location: Lambert Acres. Picturesque course in Maryville about 30 minutes away.

How many holes: 18

YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO BRING YOUR OWN CLUBS AS RENTAL AVAILABILITY AT THE COURSE IS VERY LIMITED.

Cost: $35 with a cart

What to wear:

• Collared shirts required
• Typical golf attire.
• No denim.
• Golf shoes.

Leaders: Kirk McClelland, Professor of Service Learning, Director of Service Engagement and First Year Programs & Matt Johnson, Director of Community Engagement

Kirk loves hiking with his family and friends in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. He also loves to hike and fly fish the mountain streams! Kirk grew up hiking in the white mountains of New Hampshire, hiked and backpacked extensively in the Adirondacks of New York, and was a backpacking, rock climbing, and rafting guide in the Collegiate Peaks region of Colorado. Over the past four years, Kirk has been leading hikes with the Senior Saints and looks forward to many more adventures!

This is year three of Matt Johnson’s participation in Active Track hiking. He is partial to trails in the Smokies, but has also logged miles in the Rocky Mountains, Grand Canyon, various other state/national parks, and the Israel National Trail. He is a Boston-qualifying marathon runner, who encourages everyone to find activities they can pour into with passion.

Details:

Location: Mouse Creek Falls and Midnight Hole. 1 hour and 15 minute drive from campus. This is a 4-mile round-trip hike and is considered moderate in difficulty. We will hike in and then eat lunch at the falls and perhaps go for a swim (weather dependent and if you like 50 degree water!) at Midnight Hole. We will return to campus around 4:00 p.m.

How to dress:

• Supportive sneakers or hiking shoes
• Wear layers as the temperature may change throughout the day

What to bring:

• Small backpack for carrying lunch and water
• Walking sticks
• Hat (recommended)
• Sunglasses (recommended)
• Swimming suit (if you are into that)
• Sunscreen and bug repellent

Cost: FREE with van transportation to the trail head provided.

Leaders: Weldon Davis, Brown Hall Resident Director and Community Recreation Director; Susie Benz, Administrative Assistant for Church Relations; Seth Hale, Head Coach, Men’s and Women’s Tennis;

Susie was a physical therapist assistant before moving to Knoxville and has decided to branch out into a new career path. She and her husband just moved to the Johnson campus from Colorado where, along with skiing, hiking, mountain biking, and mountain climbing, they regularly played pickleball. She and her husband have been avid pickleball players for a few years and she enjoys both the competitive side of it as well as the camaraderie and lighthearted side of the game.

Seth Hale (not pictured) – Seth has been the head tennis coach here at Johnson University since it began 10 years ago! In addition to being the tennis coach, he is a high school teacher at a local school and grew up on campus as a “campus kid.”

Details:

Will be played in a single-day tournament style. More details will come during the initial sign-up process at the beginning of the week.

Location: Graham Center basketball courts

Wear: Athletic clothing and supportive shoes

Bring your own pickleball paddles as we have limited supply to offer on campus.   

Leaders: Jamey Gorman, Professor of History & Clyde Timbs, Advancement Services Coordinator

Jamey has been kayaking the French Broad River for several years with his family.

“I was introduced to kayaking on a trip to Key Largo, FL and fell in love with it. Shortly after, we purchased kayaks for our entire family. Since that time we have frequently kayaked the French Broad, Holston, and Pigeon Rivers. We have also spent time on many of the East TN lakes, and in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico.”

Details:

Limited to the first 30 registrants!

Location: Mead’s Quarry Park: 20–25-minute drive.

Offers a glimpse into East Tennessee’s quarrying past that provided pink marble used in local and national buildings and monuments such as the National Gallery of Art. This pink marble is found almost exclusively in East Tennessee. The sparkling blue quarry waters surrounded by tall rock cliffs make a beautiful setting for paddling. The quarry is home to number of interesting species of animals including the Berry Cave Salamander, a species that exists in only a handful of caves throughout East Tennessee, and the only species of freshwater jellyfish in the entire world. The paddle around the perimeter of the quarry lake is a total of approximately 0.8 miles.

Cost: 2 hour paddle, cost is $28. Includes kayak rental, paddle, and PFD.

Bring:

• Water shoes
• Clothes suitable for paddling/getting wet
• Sunscreen
• Water
• Towel
• Sunglasses *recommended
• Hat *recommended
• Snack if needed

Note:

Participants must be physically able to enter and exit a floating kayak/canoe on their own.