Dara just one the national title in the 100M Freestyle in 54.4 at the ripe old age of 40. Simply Incredible. :applaud: :woot:
If that's not inspiring I don't know what is.
I'm not sure all of the facilities at most Universities were as easily accessible or as high quality for the women athletes back then.
Even in the Land of the Dark Ages, we had a coed weightroom at the college I swam for - free weights and Nautilus - 1984 to 1988. The team lifted M, W, F in the mornings.
As to women in general, weren't many in the weightrooms in the early to mid-80s. I can remember going into a Nautilus facility in 1980 with some of the girls on my Y team. We were the only women in there and got some strange looks.
Now that society (notice I love to pick on society) says it is o.k. for women to lift weights, womens' clothing has become broad-shoulders and big-arms friendly. Thank goodness!
Another thing that has changed since the 1980s is that it is more acceptable for women to be muscular and strong-looking. Another really good thing!
I can remember my high school USS team doing weigh-ins and the idea that muscle weighs more than fat had not yet sunk in as to the females. I saw coaches set some pretty unrealistic standards for many gals. The weighs-ins didn't go on at my college (except for the annual physical) , but I heard that they went on at many colleges across the country. I've heard that one prominent swim coach at a Div. I school used to make all the "fat girls" sit at one table in the lunchroom and eat salads.
Anyway, thank goodness we have gotten to an era where many female swimmers (although not enough because disordered eating remains a problem in this sport) can feel proud that they are strong-looking and muscular. I believe this is the main reason we have seen women make such big drops in the times in the last 10 years. No more worries about being model thin. The bigger the better!
These advances, along with Dara's problems with an eating disorder at a younger age and her recovery from it at a later age, have lead me to almost believe in her.
I'm not sure all of the facilities at most Universities were as easily accessible or as high quality for the women athletes back then.
Even in the Land of the Dark Ages, we had a coed weightroom at the college I swam for - free weights and Nautilus - 1984 to 1988. The team lifted M, W, F in the mornings.
As to women in general, weren't many in the weightrooms in the early to mid-80s. I can remember going into a Nautilus facility in 1980 with some of the girls on my Y team. We were the only women in there and got some strange looks.
Now that society (notice I love to pick on society) says it is o.k. for women to lift weights, womens' clothing has become broad-shoulders and big-arms friendly. Thank goodness!
Another thing that has changed since the 1980s is that it is more acceptable for women to be muscular and strong-looking. Another really good thing!
I can remember my high school USS team doing weigh-ins and the idea that muscle weighs more than fat had not yet sunk in as to the females. I saw coaches set some pretty unrealistic standards for many gals. The weighs-ins didn't go on at my college (except for the annual physical) , but I heard that they went on at many colleges across the country. I've heard that one prominent swim coach at a Div. I school used to make all the "fat girls" sit at one table in the lunchroom and eat salads.
Anyway, thank goodness we have gotten to an era where many female swimmers (although not enough because disordered eating remains a problem in this sport) can feel proud that they are strong-looking and muscular. I believe this is the main reason we have seen women make such big drops in the times in the last 10 years. No more worries about being model thin. The bigger the better!
These advances, along with Dara's problems with an eating disorder at a younger age and her recovery from it at a later age, have lead me to almost believe in her.
