Who are they?
You may have noticed that we're posting weekly news features at the top of the USMS home page. As we approach the trials, we'd like to run one on the trials and the Masters that have made the cuts and are competing.
If you know of someone who fits this profile, please respond and we'll let everyone know who, what events, and when to check their progress. :banana:
Thanks!
Nancy
Former Member
Masters swimmers by the true definition...
have two to three kids
a full time career or small business
chronic lingering pain in one or more limbs or lower back
spent at least ten or more years dry (no swimming whatsoever)
and maintain sporadic workout schedules due to all of the aforementioned criteria
AMEN!! Now we are getting somewhere!!
All kidding aside...a 20 something fresh out of NCAA competition is an entirely different animal than an adult athlete facing the challenges of life (kids or no kids).
Sooner or later the kids will be grown, and there's nothing holding anyone back except the chronic lingering pain and old age in general. :oldman:
Anyone that pays their $37 (or whatever your LMSC charges). That is the official USMS swimmer. Included in the what, 43,000+ USMS headcount.
You could also belong to YMCA masters, but that's another organization. Or you could be a generic masters swimmer, like a lot of DAMM members who don't register USMS ('cause we have team insurance).
Then probably Gary Hall, Nick Brunelli, and maybe even Dara Torres might be off the list.
Are we cheering for anyone who's also a masters swimmer? In the category of non-USA Swimming but Olympics bound (and currently USMS registered; she swam our SCY meet in Feb 2008!):
Martina Moravcova, Slovakia
www.martinamoravcova.com/index.html
One of my heros!
I'm pretty sure she won't be competing at Olympic Trials in swimming this time, but wanted to put in a plug for Sheila Taormina. She's competed in USMS quite a bit, including 2006 Worlds where she kicked some serious butt. Anyway, this year she's trying to make the Olympic team in Modern Pentathlon. If she makes it she'll be the first athlete to ever compete in the Olympics in three different sports (swimming, triathlon and modern pent). Pretty cool, huh?
http://www.sheilat.com/
I saw this, though, at it looks like her spot on the team is in jeopardy due to some dubious dealings by USA Pentathlon: www.freep.com/.../article
Looks like the shenanigans are over. Sheila's in the Olympics. It's not so good for Mickey Kelly though.
sports.espn.go.com/.../story
