Forrest Gump was just a movie, but if Doug Danforth has his way, he might soon be there himself.
As reported on SeaCoastOnline.com, Danforth is a senior who lives in a New Hampshire retirement home, and fresh off recent wins on the state level, he will soon be competing nationally for a ping-pong championship.
Danforth is a good sport about the game, too. He says while he aims to win his ping-pong matches, he keeps things in perspective. “That's the main thing. I try to win, but it's not a big deal if I don't,” he told the newspaper.
Next week, Danforth will be heading to Denver, Colorado for the annual LeadingAge conference, a large tradeshow for senior living professionals, where he will play ping-pong for a large crowd of spectators at the Colorado Convention Center.
It’s a long way for the Exeter, New Hampshire man, who started ping-pong while in high school, and continued playing during his working life, as well. According to the newspaper, while working at a Connecticut insurance company, Danforth played three days a week at his office gym.