Senior Olympian tennis player Tom Selstad began taking up the sport 25 years ago, in his mid 60s.

Selstad, a Great Falls resident, said he was inspired to take up the sport when he was “dragging” his son - who played at Great Falls High School, the University of Montana and Cal State-Heyward - to play at multiple tennis tournaments.

Selstad, who played basketball for the University of Montana Grizzlies from 1946-1950, said after watching his son, he felt tennis would be a sport he would be able to partake in.

“After watching my son, I thought to myself ‘Oh heck I could do this,” Selstad said.

Selstad, who is now 90 years-old, has qualified and participated in the National Senior Olympics in San Francisco and Cleveland.

“It was natural for me to want to play,” Selstad admitted. “I started playing tennis when I got too old for playing softball.”

Selstad has a list of accolades to his credit since his first-ever United States Tennis Association Tournament in Vancouver, Wash.

“Playing in a USTA tournament was a lot of fun,” Selstad said. “I play for fun but it’s kind of fun when you win too.”

Selstad, who was a high school basketball coach and coached Fairfield to its first-ever Class-B state championship title in 1954, said he utilizes tennis as an outlet to fuel his competitive edge.

“I feel like I have to do something and I just have to keep moving,” Selstad said.