I am curious how many of the posters here swam in high school, college, etc. and how close to the top you got. Thus the following not terribly detailed poll.
Former Member
I learned to swim at 5 in OW and then switched to the pool, but managed to have my ankle completely shattered in an accident -on the way home from swimming.
My PT was------wait for it----more swimming.
Unfortunately I also lived in a country that did not offer competitive HS sports and any swim leagues that existed where too far away.
The only way one could have gotten advanced training in anything other than soccer or handball or what not was by leaving home and staying in one of the sports academies.
Oh, and add to this the fact that I was a teen in the early 80's and a good number of swimmers that I had admired where testing positive for drugs.It just ruined the sport for me for a while.
I still don't compete, but after 3 years back in the pool I have found that swimming has been the best sport for me-mentally and physically.
As many I started competing with AAU, continued through high school, and swam 2 year at NCAA III. Since my education came first, I did a study abroad program in London England and a science semester at Oak Ridge National Labs (where I first met some masters swimmers).
I think my successes in USMS have been motiviated by my abbreviated NCAA tenure, as I never made national cuts even in NCAA III. I have been ranked in USMS Top Ten in Breaststroke, Butterfly and IMs over a couple of age groups, with a few placings at USMS national as 2nd or 3rd and two FINA masters medals from Worlds.
Our Pre-Masters History can be a drive motivator. How about others ?
I started swimming in HS in the UP of MI, not an area known for swimming. Swam 4 years' Div 3 at Alma College and missed a NCAA B cut in the 200 back by 1/10s of a second. Took 8 years off after school until I started swimming masters last year.
Started swimming at 42, six years ago. We actually had a little above ground pool when I was a kid, but my brother's idea of swimming was holding my head underwater till I thought I would drown.
Of course, now I'd call that a hypoxic drill.
Learned how to swim at age 5 or 6 by taking Red Cross lessons every summer in the bay. Always wanted to take lessons in a pool, but Mom said it was a no-go. I remember asking my mother if I could swim on a summer league team when I was about 10, but she said no. She was of the school that girls shouldn't be involved in competitive sports. I became a lap swimmer when I was in college (I wish I had known about Masters then!), but didn't join a Masters team until I was 39. I'm turning 43 next week, and am still playing catch-up. My goal is to keep up with the people who swam club and in high school. It isn't happening yet, but maybe someday... I really think that for most of us who started swimming structured workouts as adults, it's tough to make up for lost time. The upside is that I'm never frustrated trying to swim as fast as I did when I was a kid, because I'm at my fastest now!
Paul Smith --- "Walked on at UCSB "
Was Rick Rowland still coaching there at that time?
Mike, Rick was at Pepperdine at that time...Gregg Wilson was/is the UCSB coach.
Jim,
Although the maximum extent of my youthful swimming was one year of college during my freshman year, I must say that I became a faster swimmer as a master.
Fred Munson
A possible Dara post may be forthcoming! I asked her to do this on Facebook, and she said she would if she can find the thread, so I am posting to get it up near the top!
Kirk, thanks for the mention on my 1500 m free that I just swam. I think that 8 seconds is still a big chunk of time.
8 seconds is nothing. Just a little more than 1/2 a second per hundred. Heck, break it down by 25 and it's only 0.13 seconds per 25! :)
