This new thread occurred to me while reading posts comparing Spitz to Phelps, as well as reflecting upon mortality considering heart attacks etc. In swimming we immortalize individuals or teams for various feats or contributions, but do little to preserve a feeling for subsequent generations of enthusiasts about what it was like to train and compete 'back in the day'. Just what day am I talking about? Exactly: there have been many 'days' or more properly 'eras' that can be narrowly characterized by differences in equipment, distances swum and trained, coaching methods or more widely by larger factors: world war, global depression, racial segregation, inequality of the sexes. All of these can contribute to very different experiences than what are common today to the younger swimmer; hence, 'what was it like'. I visualize a thread that continues to be added to as new people read it and remember their own experiences. As well, experience can vary with national origin, not just era. There have already been posts on this topic scattered in various threads, please feel free to copy or quote material from them to here.
Please remember that this is not about how fast a particular swimmer was, but about the conditions that defined competitive swimming of that day.
We also have a priceless resource out there: aging swimmers in their 80's or 90's who may be less likely to read or hear of this thread; why not ask them for some of their memories or impressions and pass them on to us, while we still can?
Parents
Former Member
Wanting a pair of Speedos with the British flag down the side.
Speedo round-shaped goggles that had green, red, blue, smoked or clear round-shaped lenses and made you look like a mutant from mars (to a kid).
My Dad making Weetabix with hot milk before early morning training...
Thick lozenge shaped styrofoam "floats" (kickboards) that doubled as pull buoys...and living in envy of the more expensive thinner modern ones...
Passing the Brut 33 body splash around after swimming LOL Hey we thought it impressed the girls when we were 9.
Thinking a Wilkie moustache would be cool to have, then a few lears later how a bald head would be cooler!
Swimming like the Man from Atlantis before we knew it would be come legal in Breaststroke!
Beating my friends over 33m lengths of *** while they thrashed at crawl...that was always good...
Thinking how freaky the streetlights looked through chlorinated eyes and making your eyes cry to soother them...
When we were a little bit older...Sharon Davies :hug:(we wished)...
Wanting a pair of Speedos with the British flag down the side.
Speedo round-shaped goggles that had green, red, blue, smoked or clear round-shaped lenses and made you look like a mutant from mars (to a kid).
My Dad making Weetabix with hot milk before early morning training...
Thick lozenge shaped styrofoam "floats" (kickboards) that doubled as pull buoys...and living in envy of the more expensive thinner modern ones...
Passing the Brut 33 body splash around after swimming LOL Hey we thought it impressed the girls when we were 9.
Thinking a Wilkie moustache would be cool to have, then a few lears later how a bald head would be cooler!
Swimming like the Man from Atlantis before we knew it would be come legal in Breaststroke!
Beating my friends over 33m lengths of *** while they thrashed at crawl...that was always good...
Thinking how freaky the streetlights looked through chlorinated eyes and making your eyes cry to soother them...
When we were a little bit older...Sharon Davies :hug:(we wished)...
