Avalon’s Bonnie Sotire Earns Olympic Medals

Avalon’s Bonnie Sotire achieved great things early in her career as a human resources executive. The Pittsburgh native left prestigious Purdue University armed with degrees in psychology and business and was named a bank vice president by age 26. She later spent 15 years as the human resources chief executive for Cigna Corp. before “retiring” at age 44.
It’s not exactly a stunning revelation that she has continued to reach new heights in her middle years.
Sotire and her husband, Chuck, have spent four months each year at the Jersey Shore since 1988. They’ve made their offseason home in Bluffton, S.C., just outside Hilton Head, since 2000. The coldest parts of winter find the couple in Maui. “During our working days we spent every spring and summer weekend in Avalon,” she said.
Sotire also loves Avalon because she has two daughters and three granddaughters in Southeastern Pennsylvania “and one of them is always down visiting with us,” she said.
Sotire, who turns 58 on July 26, recently returned from the 2011 National Senior Olympic Games in Houston. She competed in six swimming events and brought home three silver medals and one bronze, along with a fourth and a six place finish.
“The games are held in a different city every other year,” said Sotire. “I represented the state of South Carolina since we live there eight months of the year. I was thrilled with how everything turned out. I love competing.”
With so many outstanding athletic and professional achievements, Sotire points to the National Senior Olympic Games with the most pride. “Since 2005 I’ve won one gold, 10 silver and six bronze medals,” she said. “I’ve got four fourth place finishes. And I still compete in local triathlons and road races here in South Jersey and in South Carolina.”
Sotire’s been in the pool since swimming AAU while growing up. In high school she swam in the Western Pennsylvania Championships.
“I later competed against the same girl 35 years later at the 2005 Senior Olympics,” she said fondly. “It’s a small world.”
She said she prepared for the Senior Olympics by swimming at the Crest Haven pool each morning. “I did 2,000 to 3,000 yards each day for about five weeks,” she said. “It’s exhausting!”
Sotire was also a member of the girls’ basketball team and a high school cheerleading captain. “I juggled a lot of sports back then,” she said.
Because there were no athletic scholarships for women, Sotire stopped swimming competitively when she went to Purdue.
Aside from her devotion and hard work, genes might also be on the side of the 5-6, 140-pounder. Her father, Bill Kramer, turns 90 in August and still manages to shoot his age on the golf course. He was the number one golfer during his days as a Pitt Panther.
“My family is a huge golf family,” Sotire said. “Dad was club champion 16 times over six decades and he used to play against Arnold Palmer. They renamed the St. Claire Country Club Championship award the ‘Kramer Cup’ in his honor.”
Sotire’s love for training and a healthy lifestyle doesn’t end in the water. She started running in 1990 and has competed in numerous road races over the last two decades plus.
“I started swimming again when we moved to South Carolina in 2000,” she said. “I also began competing in triathlons as well as the road races. Swimming is exhausting but I really enjoy it. It’s not tough on your joints like other sports can be. I make sure to take care of my legs. I never want my knees to go on me.”
Sotire, who’s competed in the Philadelphia Half-Marathon, said she’ll be in the field for Stone Harbor’s July 17 triathlon. Sotire said her favorite sport is swimming and that she’s “not so keen” on bike riding. She primarily focuses on 5K events these days and she stays prepared by lacing up the running shoes five days per week for about three to four miles per outing.
Chuck, 72, is very supportive of his spouse. He bikes alongside when Bonnie runs. He also works out quite hard himself, including three days per week lifting weights with his wife, his own routine of push-ups, and his frequent presence at Stone Harbor Golf Club.
As you can imagine, Bonnie and Chuck are very conscientious of their diets. They consume “tons and tons of vegetables,” she said. They also enjoy seafood and fiber while steering clear of sugar and salt.
“It works for us,” said Bonnie. “I’ve got no real disappointments. I just like meeting athletes and spending time with them. The secret is to keep moving because as you age you can spread out real fast.”