Arizona Senior Olympics began in 1981 when staff of the City of Phoenix Parks, Recreation and Library Department began planning for the first City of Phoenix Senior Olympics. Headed by Irene Stillwell, the first planning committee was Mark Lamm, Charles Raymond and Denee McKinley. Each were associated with senior programming and had observed the benefits of physical activity on those with whom they were working.

In 1982 the first City of Phoenix Senior Olympics were held with just 150 participants. These games were so successful that participation doubled the following year.

In response to statewide interest, the first Arizona Senior Olympics State Games were held in 1984 at Arizona State University. Founding sponsors were The Del Webb Corporation, Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center The Arizona Republic and Arizona State University. The Cities of Mesa, Scottsdale, Tempe and Glendale came forward to help with the program by offering staff to serve on the Steering Committee which planned and implemented the Annual Games.

It soon became evident that in addition to the statewide Annual Games, there was a need for some kind of year round programming which would keep senior athletes in training. Staff began offering workshops and clinics to help athletes learn the fine points of their sport. Valley Wide Events were begun in the Fall of the year to help athletes train for the statewide Annual Games held in February of each year. In addition, the Del Webb Fitness Awards were begun to reward ongoing training and participation in various sports on a year round basis.

Arizona Senior Olympics has continued to grow, reaching into the lives of thousands of seniors with information and inspiration to begin and continue in fitness activities which will help them overcome some of the debilitating aspects of aging by adopting regular fitness and sports activities.

In 1987 the first National Senior Olympics were held in St.Louis, Missouri. Arizona Senior Olympics staff played a key role in the founding of the national games, serving on the initial Board of Directors and continuing in that capacity for nearly a dozen year. Arizona Senior Olympics serves as Qualifying Site for the National Senior Games (the Senior Olympics) and every other year sends several hundred athletes to the national competition

Throughout its history Arizona Senior Olympics has summed up its mission as "Fitness Through Sports", encouraging Arizonans over the age of fifty to become involved in any of the 28 sports which it offers. Arizona Senior Olympics, now enhanced with an active, committed Board of Directors, has come to rightly be names "Arizona’s Leader in Senior Fitness".