Did you go straight into Masters Swimming or did you take time off.

Swam summer club until I was 16 or 17, no high school or college. Started agan last spring at 50, teaching my 6 year old to swim (13 year old twins had been swimming age group for 2 years). Remembered how much I liked swimming, knew I needed to keep in shape (*hated* the treadmill!), so I signed up for USMS to give myself the 'carrot' of the occasional competition to keep myself working out. I've attended 4 meets since then with some improvement (even if small) each meet. (And, while my 'shape' is still somewhat round, my stamina has gotten much better!)

Swam through high school, then intramurals in college. Did other exercise - weights, cycling, racquetball, water skiing, then finally started swimming at 45 after essentially 23 years of no swimming as exercise. That was two years ago. I needed some kind of organized exercise to keep me active. I race now and a big help has been an excellent coach. Weird thing is that I'm a better breastroker now than anything else. I do not remember ever racing breastroke in high school. One thing that is the same - I still hate distance swimming.

I swam in HS, Junior College and Division 1 on scholarship. Started Masters right away, no break since 1976. Didn't think I would be in such a minority. Not in swimmming experience, but the quick transition. Maybe living in an area (Southern California) with an active Masters swimming presence helped.

I had to take a year of college off from competitive swimming because there was no way I could work out and take all the lab classes I needed. At UT-Knoxville the women's team had awful practice hours (middle of the afternoon). I kept swimming during that year, just not competitively, and not as much as I would have if I'd been on the team. Once I got to grad school I started with Masters, and have been struggling ever since.

I swamAAU from 8-12 in San Diego in the 60s. Swam with a Rec Leauge from 12-18 in Northern California . Swam in High School. Then just swam laps for fitness for the last 30 years. Signed up for USMS so I could do the postal events and am looking for a team now. I am enjoying my swimming now more than ever and am really working on technique. Trying to get faster at 50 than at 18. We'll see, at least its a goal and something to work for. Paul

I swam in neighborhood leagues until age 10, then joined a nearby AAU team (1971). The training kicked in, things went well, but burned out at the start of my senior year of high school (1977) and I dropped out. Swam intramurals at college with a very "relaxed" training regimen but my 100 yd free time improved anyway. Stopped again after college until 1989 or so when a project I designed (hotel fitness center, with lap pool) enticed me to start splashing around a bit again. Found a masters team near my home and joined it because swimming alone was dull and unmotivating. Others on this team and I got into the triathlon gig and had a blast. First child came (1992) and dropped out again. Joined again, but did major construction work on my old house, plus a second child, and dropped out again. And so forth. Finally had to quit running due to bad joints. Being a gym rat didn't do it, needed that friendly competitive spirit and challenge for improvement that masters can bring. Mid-life crisis hits (2005), bought a sports car but pledged to start swimming again as part of the solution (or pact with the devil?). I swim with several groups, keeps it fresh. Been going reasonably strong ever since, I plan to continue many years. Masters has so much to offer, highly recommended. DV

I found this site this evening as I was looking for a beginner type workout, I have been out of the water for 20 years. I swam age group from age 5 through 18 in N. California. Looking forward to diving into the pool tomorrow for a workout.