Tennis helping senior stay in shape

Courtesy photo

Sun City resident Ernest Arze, 80, wears a medal he won for tennis.

By Brent Hinckley

Thursday, Dec. 18, 2008 | 10:47 p.m.

Tennis has always been a way for Sun City Summerlin resident Ernest Arze to relax.

He took up the sport nearly 30 years ago to get a break from being a doctor.

Arze, 80, now uses the sport to keep in shape and stay healthy, playing several times a week.

Arze participated in the Nevada Senior Olympics for the third consecutive year this fall and captured the gold medal for his age group.

"It was a wonderful feeling. I finally made it," he said. "This was the best thing I've done in tennis."

Arze defeated Dan Follosco for the gold medal.

"It was a lot of fun. Ernest deserved to win. He played quite a match," Follosco said.

Arze grew up in Bolivia, but moved to the United States when he was 29 years old. He was a doctor in Bolivia and helped perform several experimental surgeries that were later published in medical journals in the United States. The recognition earned him a contract offer to be a doctor in Ohio.

"After a year I had other offers and was able to choose where I wanted to go," he said.

He opted to stay in Ohio for 21 years, before moving to San Antonio for the next 19 years. When he retired he moved to Las Vegas, where he's been the last 11 years.

"I wanted to retire to a place where no one knew me," he said.

He also found a strong tennis community that allows him to keep playing the sport he enjoys.

"It's a great way to exercise and it's a good way to know people," Arze said.

Brent Hinckley can be reached at 990-7822 or brent.hinckley@hbcpub.com.