CLEVELAND — Get ready Cleveland, the Pan-American Masters Games are coming to town, and our great city will be the first in the United States to host this annual gathering of athletes over age 30 from across the world.
The multisport event is expected to be the city’s largest-ever international gathering and with it, we’re welcoming more than 5,000 athletes representing more than 50 different countries, including Cleveland native Lynx Tyus. Lynx is a table tennis athlete extraordinaire who will be in competition, as well as acting as an official 'Pan-Ambassador.'
We met up at Case Western Reserve University’s Veale Athletic Center, where she explained she found her love of the sport at an early age -- nearby, in Cleveland's Hough neighborhood.
"I grew up [attending Charles Orr Elementary School.] We had the best athletic program there," she recalled. They put out a table, it was more like an extracurricular activity. So it wasn't our actual physical education ... so we had to sign up and I would always sneak out of class and I would say, can I go to the restroom? I run down, put my name on the thing, and sometimes I got caught. But who cared, just as long as I got on the table."
Since those days, Lynx has traveled the world, competing against top talent, and honing her skills. With all that experience, Lynx says she doesn't worry too much about her competition.
"You just have to watch the ball. It's not about the person, it's all about the ball. So it doesn't even matter who is across the table. It's the ball and how the ball comes at you."
But playing in her hometown is extra special, and she's already feeling the support. She's even planning to move home this year and start her own table tennis club, to pay her love of the sport forward to other women and young people.
"You don't have a lot of black women in table tennis, Lynx said. "And I want to change that, especially with girls that learning how I learned and learning how to play the game."
Of course, when in the presence of a ping pong pro of this caliber, it would be foolish to not try and pick up some pointers. But after some personal lessons in backhands and top spins, it was clear table tennis is not my sport. Any while I may not have risen to the level of ping pong master, I do have a new respect for the sport.
So good luck to all our local champions out there, no matter your sport! Reminding you that there are a lot of things I actually am good at, this is Mike Polk with 3News.
The Pan-American Masters Games run from July 12-21, and are free to attend. You can learn more information here.