How many yards a practice do you swim?

Tim: Take a look at the July/August issue of USMS Swimmer. It has a story about a swimmer in Indiana named Dimitar Kalchev. Thirty-four years ago he endured a frightening, life threating experience when he swam for his freedom from Bulgaria to Turkey to escape communism. He had to train to swim 9 miles and had to do the swim at night and finish it before day light. Dimitar was never a swimmer when he was younger so he was a late bloomer to the sport. However, he was a track star in both running and high jump so he had a little VO2 Max development. After college while working for a company that had sports, he was able to have access to a 50 meter pool. He started swimming with a focus on time rather than speed. Sometimes he would swim twice a day both in the pool and in the Black Sea. The Black Sea was so cold, he would swim sometimes for 4 to 5 hours to get used to the escape swim. With nothing but a compass, watch, and a water proof pouch he made a successful ecscape. After spending time in Italy he came to the USA in 1972. Without knowing a word of english, he learned it and pretty soon he could speak 5 languages. He was employed as an engineer and settled in San Diego. He then moved to Indianapolis and started swimming masters there. Past USMS Treasurer Doug Church says that Dimitar is unassuming and unfailingly enthusiatic, "His story is extremely inspiring. When you compare your swimming life to his, it just amazing". This is an example of a swimmer who started later in life, you had to overcome being a foreigner in the USA, who had the will to escape to freedom, who enjoys master swimming and what it has done to his life. He appreciates life every day and the story was very inspirational. This is just another example of many stories of swimmers who have not been swimming forever or may have returned to swimming from the high school, college, olympics, etc.

Tim: Take a look at the July/August issue of USMS Swimmer. It has a story about a swimmer in Indiana named Dimitar Kalchev. Thirty-four years ago he endured a frightening, life threating experience when he swam for his freedom from Bulgaria to Turkey to escape communism. He had to train to swim 9 miles and had to do the swim at night and finish it before day light. Dimitar was never a swimmer when he was younger so he was a late bloomer to the sport. However, he was a track star in both running and high jump so he had a little VO2 Max development. After college while working for a company that had sports, he was able to have access to a 50 meter pool. He started swimming with a focus on time rather than speed. Sometimes he would swim twice a day both in the pool and in the Black Sea. The Black Sea was so cold, he would swim sometimes for 4 to 5 hours to get used to the escape swim. With nothing but a compass, watch, and a water proof pouch he made a successful ecscape. After spending time in Italy he came to the USA in 1972. Without knowing a word of english, he learned it and pretty soon he could speak 5 languages. He was employed as an engineer and settled in San Diego. He then moved to Indianapolis and started swimming masters there. Past USMS Treasurer Doug Church says that Dimitar is unassuming and unfailingly enthusiatic, "His story is extremely inspiring. When you compare your swimming life to his, it just amazing". This is an example of a swimmer who started later in life, you had to overcome being a foreigner in the USA, who had the will to escape to freedom, who enjoys master swimming and what it has done to his life. He appreciates life every day and the story was very inspirational. This is just another example of many stories of swimmers who have not been swimming forever or may have returned to swimming from the high school, college, olympics, etc.