Former Falls Church resident Charlie Edwards, 96, of Springfield won a gold medal in the men’s compound release archery competition in the 95 – 99 age bracket at the 2015 National Senior Games held in Minnesota earlier this month. Edwards was one of the less than one percent of competitors at the games who were over the age of 90.

It was his second time competing in the National Senior Games – in 2013, he won a bronze medal in his age group at the games in Cleveland. He qualified for the 2015 National Senior Games at the 2014 Virginia Senior Games.

Edwards first picked up a bow and arrow in 2011 after a friend of his at the Greenspring retirement community encouraged him to join the community’s archery club. Only six months later, he won his first gold medal at the 2012 Virginia Senior Games.

In order to train for the games, Edwards visits Ft. Belvoir Archery Center, located a few miles away from Greenspring, once a week. While a Falls Church resident, Edwards lived on Cloverdale Farms, which was owned by his grandparents, for many years before it became home to the West Falls Church Metro station.