Am I stuck in a non-compete agreement?

I am stuck in a non-compete contract that I was forced to sign. I worked for over twenty years in a small family owned business in Ohio. I obtained a college degree while employed there in anticipation of needing it when the family decided to close the business. When talk of their retirement began, I started looking for a new job in the field in which I was educated, or something similar to what I was doing at the time. I had absolutely no luck in my job quest, applying for over 100 openings with very little response. The family owned business ended up selling out to a larger corporation, and I was told I had to sign a contract with a non-compete in order to continue employment. With no luck in the job market, I had no choice but to sign this. Now, the job market has opened up for me and there are some opportunities that I would like to take advantage of, but my non-compete is preventing this. Am I trapped in this agreement? I have records of my job search, and my former employer was aware of the fact that I was searching for a new job when the sale occurred.