They’re still in the game in their 80s

On a bright morning at the Cypress Lakes Tennis Courts in Muscle Shoals, Mary McCoy and Ann Culberson ready for their first serve. The two women in their 80s may make light fun of practice, but by every measure they are still very much in the game.

This weekend, the pair will travel to Tuscaloosa to compete in a state qualifier for the Senior Olympics with hopes of advancing to the 2027 national games. If you ask them, the journey there matters just as much as the outcome.

“I picked up the racket at 27. Now I’m 85,” Culberson said.

McCoy, 82, has that many years and more in sport, but jokes self-deprecatingly about her own confidence.

“I started when I was 10. That’s 72 years for me, and I’m no better than when I started,” she said with a laugh.

Still, her talents as well as her love for tennis rarely come into question when she’s seen on the court, racket in hand.

For Culberson, tennis began as a way to build a life in unfamiliar places. After moving to Hawaii as a young woman, she picked up a racket at the suggestion of a friend. At the time, she was married to a military serviceman, and frequent relocations became a way of life.

“I would go to the closest tennis court I could find,” she said. “I’d watch people playing, and they’d say, ‘Hey, what are you doing?’ I’d tell them I just moved there, and they’d let me play a set. Then they’d ask, ‘Will you be on our team?’ I did that in Hawaii, California, Virginia, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Ohio and Tennessee.”

The tennis court became her introduction to community again and again. She easily formed connections through the sport, no matter what zip code.

McCoy’s path to tennis was rooted much closer to home. Raised in Athens, she grew up with a brother who had hoped for a younger sibling to play sports with. She decided not to let her gender get in the way.

“Instead of dolls, I got ball gloves and tennis rackets,” she said. “So, I guess I have him to thank.”

Her brother, William “Brub” Hamilton, went on to become a standout football player, while her sister, Elizabeth Britt, taught English and humanities. McCoy followed both paths, majoring in English before ultimately spending 32 years teaching physical education and coaching tennis for 16 years at Calhoun Community College.

“I like to say I got the best of both worlds,” she said.

Competition has always been part of her identity.

Even after retiring from teaching at the University of North Alabama, McCoy found her way back to playing at the collegiate level. In her late 50s, she earned a scholarship to Northwest Shoals Community College and joined the team.

“I played with the young chicks,” she said, laughing, “and I loved it.”

Culberson, too, has spent decades competing, including many appearances in the Senior Olympics alongside her late second husband, Henry Fred Culberson, whom she met on a tennis court.

Their relationship began with a conversation during a match, sparked by shared grief after both had recently lost their mothers. It grew, set by set, into a partnership that extended well beyond the game.

“He would ask to be on the court with me,” she recalled. “Then it was, ‘Come on, let’s go to lunch.’ That’s how it started.”

They would go on to compete together in mixed doubles, collecting memories — and an occasional medal — along the way.

Today, Culberson carries that history with her as she prepares to compete again, this time alongside McCoy. The two met after Culberson returned to the Shoals in 2017, a move prompted by her husband’s desire to be closer to family later in life. Both women joined the Cypress Lakes Club, where their partnership naturally took shape.

“She asked me to play,” McCoy said, “and I was flattered.”

Culberson waves off the compliment.

“Oh, no, no,” she said. “She’s a very good player.”

What they agree on, without hesitation, is that they are both competitive.

That competitive spirit is fueling their preparation for this month’s state qualifier, where they will compete in doubles. Because of the age divisioins in Senior Olympics, Culberson will “play down” into McCoy’s 80–84 bracket, while also competing in singles in her own 85–89 division.

Their training regimen reflects both discipline and joy. They practice together a couple of times a week, working on strategy and positioning with the help of their club’s tennis pro, Brice Bishop.

Culberson and McCoy have also traveled to indoor courts in Decatur during the colder months to stay sharp, even if it meant facing younger, faster opponents.

“We’re going to make some excuses here,” McCoy said of those matches. “They were used to the indoor courts. We weren’t.”

Off the court, both women maintain rigorous fitness routines. Culberson walks miles each day — sometimes up to nine — while McCoy rotates between the gym, pickleball and golf.

When her cardiologist recently asked how often she exercises, McCoy’s answer was emphatic.

“About five days a week,” she said. “It’s playtime. I don’t understand boredom.”

For both women, staying active is about far more than physical health. It’s mental, too.

“In tennis, you have to keep score,” McCoy said. “You have to focus. I used to tell my team, focus and patience are two things you need in tennis.”

Culberson agrees. “You have to concentrate.”

As the state event approaches, their goals are grounded in the same spirit. Culberson is curious to see the level of competition, knowing that anyone who enters will be skilled. McCoy is eager to measure herself against peers her own age.

“In your little world, you think, ‘I’m OK,’” she said. “But then you see others in their 80s playing well. They’re out there.”

While a trip to the national event would be a welcome reward, both women already feel like victors.