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The results of the Rat race are in, and George Long's two gold medals fit quite nicely around his neck.

Long, known by just about everybody as “Rat,” came back from the Tennessee Senior Olympics in Williamson County this week having won a gold medal in the 5K time trials biking event and another gold in the 20K bike road race event, for his age group. This Friendsville native turns 70 in September.

This was Long's first Senior Olympics. He said he hopped on a bicycle about seven or eight years ago, deciding to take the proactive approach to his own health. He started slow, worked his way up and can now keep pace with the much younger local biking group he teams up with every week.

“A few years ago, I let myself gain a bunch of weight and I was on a bunch of medicine,” Long explained. “I was looking for something to do to make my health better.”

He suffered from high blood pressure and high cholesterol, two conditions that have disappeared since he started biking. Long has lost 20 pounds and said he has a commitment to lose more.

Good showing for Blount

But Long wasn't the only successful Senior Olympian from Blount County. Bill Proffitt Sr., who competed in the 85-89 age category, won three gold medals — in the 20K road race, 5K time trial and javelin. His son, Bill Proffitt Jr. made his mark as well, in the 55-59 age category. He took second place in the 20K road race and the 200 meter run.

Proffitt Sr. now has four state records in his age category.

Close to 1,900 senior athletes ages 50 and older competed in this 30th annual event that is sponsored by BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee. Sports include swimming, track and field, horseshoes, table tennis, bowling, badminton, tennis, basketball, archery, racquetball, cycling, volleyball, softball, shuffleboard, golf, running and walking. The whole idea behind the competition is to promote a healthy lifestyle among seniors and recognize outstanding abilities. Competition concluded on Thursday.

Long trains at least six days a week, riding between 30 and 50 miles at each outing. In heat and cold. All year round. He remembers one morning he left and the thermometer registered a nippy 8 degrees. He had to scrape ice from his goggles.

“I have close to 5,000 miles logged,” Long said. “I don't even drive my car that much.”

Long is familiar to anyone who is into street rods and dragsters. His business, Rat's Glass, specializes in body work for street rods. He's owned it for years.

In the time trial race at the Senior Olympics, Long rode a 5K, a distance of a little over three miles, what he considers too short a distance. In the road race, the competitors raced for 20K.

In the time trial, racers are staggered on the course, each cyclist starting at one-minute intervals. Long was able to get into his groove, and passed two of the guys ahead of him.

Practice makes perfect

There were competitors who certainly had better and more expensive equipment than Long. That intimidated him at first, but a true competitor like Long doesn't let anything distract him from the task at hand.

“The time trial started out with a half-mile hill,” Long explained. “I rode that hill two or three times while everybody else was shooting the breeze, to get a good rhythm going and to figure out what gear I wanted and what speed. When it came my time to go, I was sitting on ready.”

Long has several supporters in this community. People like Eddie Sloan and Tim Patterson at Cycology bike shop in Maryville and riding buddy Joe Black. They all knew a feisty, determined strong senior like Long could come out on top.

He doesn't require any help when it comes to motivation, Sloan has observed. “He is high energy,” he said. “His background is racing anyway, whether it's cars, motorcycles, boats, whatever. It's in his blood. He wants to go faster.”

What's next?

Now that he has his two gold medals, Long is already thinking about next year's Senior Olympics or what other possible competitions might come his way.

There is no shortage of people who will give him a race, Patterson said. Long rides with several organized groups here in Blount County comprised of the best the area has to offer. There just aren't any medals involved.

“If a bike ride has more than three riders, it's competition,” Patterson said.

As for others his age, Long has this message: Grab a bike and go. If he can do it, so can you.

Sloan said he knew before Long left for the Senior Olympics that he'd do well, based on all the hard work he had put into the sport. “We don't like to brag on him, but we knew what he was going to happen ­— he smoked them.”