Not just for fitness, because that would be discouraging.
One thing is certain, if you don't start you won't be able to compete. DFL is still better than DNS.
Find a masters team with a good coach, start working out, get some help with technique and see what happens.
Your potential is based on a multiple factors. Some you have control of, some you don't.
However, You define what success means to you. Does that mean #1 at Nationals in your AG, World Record in your AG, or maybe just not being last in your heat at a local meet. You won't know what you can achieve unless you give it a shot.
Have fun and good luck with your goals.
Yes, there definitely plenty of people better than me that just aren't competing. I don't think there are people better than Michael Phelps who are not.Note, the post said “someone” not some person. I’d wager that Bruce the shark could kill Phelps in the pool. And Flipper in his (her?) prime would crush the world record times in the fly, although Flipper would likely get DQ’ed for not touching with 2 hands.
I believe the July/August SWIMMER Magazine in its write-up of Spring Nationals featured a couple of swimmers who came to the pool in their 30s. There's proof of a couple of folks having done that.
As for competing at local meets, anyone can do that. Great events. And fun setting new PRs as you improve.
That's one benefit of starting later in life. Most folks are slowing down and getting slower. By starting late, you're regularly breaking new ground. It can be exciting.
I'm 64, and although I learned to swim as a kid, I mainly did it for lap swimming, and not competitively until I was in my 50s, when I decided to join a masters' swim group forming at my Y. I seem to have plateaued in terms of times and I was never hugely fast (best ever 50 free was 51 seconds; best ever 100 free was 1:56 I think (scy in both cases). But when I first joined masters' I would never have considered an ocean swim (then did one), never would have considered a 5+ mile swim (did one 4x), never would contemplate signing up for an 8 mile swim (signed up this year for one in Sept.). I swam this year in the Hudson River for the first time ever--and against the current, which was brutal.
And while I still would like to be faster, I'm grateful for the opportunities for competing in the pool and open water. I have no illusions about breaking world records, even in my age group--I'm looking more for personal goals now... improve on a performance in a particular race... this year, I did my fastest 5 miler ever.
So my thought: it depends on what your goal is in competing. It should be challenging enough to be interesting, but not so far out of reach as to be frustrating. And you can't define your worth by your swimming times. I've finished last any number of times but have still been pleased w/ my performance b/c I know I gave it my best. If a time isn't what I'd hoped for, I figure there are more races and events to aim for, and I'm grateful I'm healthy enough to enter them.
I don't know what the future will hold for me in swimming, but I prefer to appreciate the present.
Good luck w/ your competing!
I trained with John Davis, a swimmer in the UK who didn’t learn to swim until the age of 55, When he was in the 80-84 age group he went to Australia for the world masters championships and won the 400 IM.
So it can be done. Admittedly, it helps if you can outlive your opponets in the older age groups.
Can someone start at 31 with the intent to compete?
Yes. The phenomenon is common enough to have its own scientific-sounding name: "adult onset swimmer."
I'm 64, and although I learned to swim as a kid, I mainly did it for lap swimming, and not competitively until I was in my 50s, when I decided to join a masters' swim group forming at my Y. I seem to have plateaued in terms of times and I was never hugely fast (best ever 50 free was 51 seconds; best ever 100 free was 1:56 I think (scy in both cases). But when I first joined masters' I would never have considered an ocean swim (then did one), never would have considered a 5+ mile swim (did one 4x), never would contemplate signing up for an 8 mile swim (signed up this year for one in Sept.). I swam this year in the Hudson River for the first time ever--and against the current, which was brutal.
And while I still would like to be faster, I'm grateful for the opportunities for competing in the pool and open water. I have no illusions about breaking world records, even in my age group--I'm looking more for personal goals now... improve on a performance in a particular race... this year, I did my fastest 5 miler ever.
So my thought: it depends on what your goal is in competing. It should be challenging enough to be interesting, but not so far out of reach as to be frustrating. And you can't define your worth by your swimming times. I've finished last any number of times but have still been pleased w/ my performance b/c I know I gave it my best. If a time isn't what I'd hoped for, I figure there are more races and events to aim for, and I'm grateful I'm healthy enough to enter them.
I don't know what the future will hold for me in swimming, but I prefer to appreciate the present.
Good luck w/ your competing!
In my opinion, this is what master's swimming is all about! :applaud:
