01 Feb 2024 50 Plus Women Green Diamonds bring Arkansas national representation in Senior Olympics

By David Grimes

Thresa Turner Hunter is proof that it is never too late to get back into the gym. In the course of a few short years, she went from starting an early morning workout routine to representing Arkansas in the Senior Olympics.

Hunter graduated from Malvern High School in 1982, where she played basketball. She continued her playing career at Henderson State University. She now lives in Glen Rose. 

She remained active, but when she became a mother, Hunter spent most of her time following her two sons’ athletic pursuits. Once her boys graduated high school, Hunter found herself with a lot of free time and feeling a little lost. Compelled to stay active, in 2018 she contacted her college coach and mentor Dr. Alvin Futrell.

Hunter began a regular workout regimen with her former coach, traveling from Malvern to the Little Rock Dunbar Community Center at 6 a.m. to lift weights and shoot basketball. She would then drive back to Malvern for work at 8:30. 

Hunter later also became active in a boot camp fitness class. One day, she came across a Facebook post about a basketball team for women over 50. At the age of 58, Hunter inquired about playing. She became a part of the team and was blessed to find the sisters she never had with the Arkansas Diamonds 50 Plus Women Green Diamonds.

She also found success on the court, as the Diamonds brought home medals from tournaments in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Tennessee, Texas and Louisiana. In July 2023, they placed seventh in the National Senior Games in Pittsburgh, Penn. Hunter’s teammates include Mary Beth Kelloms, Mary Stevens, Tammy Green, Sherry Barker, Karen Redden Glenn, Jill Sanders, Myka Bono Sample and Rebecca Sorrell Danner. They are coached by Curtis Stevens.  

Hunter said of her Diamond sisters, “They are inspiring and incredible women. I am honored to be a part of the legacy they started.”

She and her teammates do everything together: eat, pray, laugh, cry, encourage and carry each other. They have experienced heartbreak, death, knee replacements, pacemakers, concussions and other health issues.

Now a grandmother, Hunter summed up her journey, “I would encourage anyone, if you loved something, never give up on it. It is not a sprint, it is a marathon. If you cannot hit the goal or take five steps without passing out, get up and just move, one step at a time.”