I've had the opportunity to read many of the posts on this forum, and it seems we are a group of similar interest, but we are different in so many ways.
There is one thing I hope we can agree on, and that is the value and importance of swimming.
Although it seems this group is pulled in two directions, one side having an emphasis on performance as the criteria for success, and the other side which sees the lifestyle benefits as the main motivation.
There's something about this that I've tried to understand, and I'm not really sure if other people think the same way. Some elite athletes look down on Masters as "not that important". Yet, master athletes choose this lifestyle for decades or even an entire lifetime. This dedication to the sport seems to be an even greater accomplishment.
With the aging population masters could become more popular in the public mind, as we show the general public what life could be like. That's why master athletes should be broadly recognized for their accomplishments.
At the end of the day, Masters win, regardless of place!!
Parents
Former Member
Jonathan,
Perfect! I have gone the gamut from swimming occasionally to hard work towards a national event or a top ten time, but it has always been a joy to workout with fine people and visit new, interesting places. Now that I am back on a team and working out in a group, I don't think I could stop again.
As for your point about showing others, my late mother-in-law, Rita Shephard, was a great example. When she retired at 65, she asked us what could she do. She had been a lifeguard and swimming instructor, but had never competed. She was hesitant when we told her about Masters. It took one meet for her to be hooked and she spent the next 25 years working out with Masters and kids teams, checking on the latest times of her rivals, traveling all over, speaking to individuals and groups whenever she could, and the number of people she touched may be uncountable. At the age of ninety-one, after having both hips replaced in a single operation, and her heart failing, she still got into the pool and did a bit of backstroke with me swimming next to her. She wouldn't swim a 25 in the local Senior Games, as she didn't want to be the "slow old lady" that would hold up the meet and get a big hand just for finishing!
Whenever anyone asks us why we look so young for our age, swimming is the first thing out of our mouths. So to all, from the plodders to the screamers, keep doing what floats your boat and tell everyone you meet why you look so good!
Bob Husson
Bob,
Thanks for sharing the story... That's the heart of the matter, right?
Happy swimming,
Jonathan,
Perfect! I have gone the gamut from swimming occasionally to hard work towards a national event or a top ten time, but it has always been a joy to workout with fine people and visit new, interesting places. Now that I am back on a team and working out in a group, I don't think I could stop again.
As for your point about showing others, my late mother-in-law, Rita Shephard, was a great example. When she retired at 65, she asked us what could she do. She had been a lifeguard and swimming instructor, but had never competed. She was hesitant when we told her about Masters. It took one meet for her to be hooked and she spent the next 25 years working out with Masters and kids teams, checking on the latest times of her rivals, traveling all over, speaking to individuals and groups whenever she could, and the number of people she touched may be uncountable. At the age of ninety-one, after having both hips replaced in a single operation, and her heart failing, she still got into the pool and did a bit of backstroke with me swimming next to her. She wouldn't swim a 25 in the local Senior Games, as she didn't want to be the "slow old lady" that would hold up the meet and get a big hand just for finishing!
Whenever anyone asks us why we look so young for our age, swimming is the first thing out of our mouths. So to all, from the plodders to the screamers, keep doing what floats your boat and tell everyone you meet why you look so good!
Bob Husson
Bob,
Thanks for sharing the story... That's the heart of the matter, right?
Happy swimming,
