Out of curiosity, what brought you to swim?
I'm a fitness swimmer now and do OW races for fun. I began swimming as an alternative to running, I had taken a swim class in college that demonstrated routines and corrected my form enough to do well without getting frustrated or feel intimidated. When I had trouble running I would go swim instead. I began swimming regularly to train for the Long beach triathlon years ago. Now I enjoy swimming just as much as running...it's a new challenge as well as a great stress release for me. I'm just finishing up my credential and will be transitioning from a career in IT to teaching, which means that i'll be open to joining a masters team soon! Wohoo!
Here's the question....
Why did you start?
When?
What's your day job?
I began swimming masters 3 months ago. My last meet before that was in April of 1992 as a senior in college. I started swimming masters because I found a great club that has early practices (445am). I cannot make it to any other practices due to family obligations, so if that practice is dropped from the practice schedule this may be a short lived return to the sport.
But I have to give some credit to the performances of Phelps, Torres, Cielo, and others last summer, in that I realized that there are a lot of new techniques being employed that I was never exposed to as a younger swimmer, and therefore, I have absolutely no excuse not to hit my old times if I practice and use those techniques :D
My original introduction to swimming was when I was seven when my parents and I saw a flyer at our pool for swim team tryouts. I think it was a mutual decision that this was a good idea- I had a lot of energy and got bored easily hanging around my parents' friends, and my parents were eager to wear me out somehow. It was a match made in heaven.
I started swimming masters because I found a great club that has early practices (445am).
You sure did! :) Fortunately, they have my favorite Sunday 9:15 am practice too.
Running injuries introduced me to masters swimming in 2006. That and my daughter's coach, who told me to "get my ass back in the pool."
Day job, very part time lawyer and very full time mommy.
I have pretty much always been around water and swum.At 11 I won the BR at Scout Camp.As I was otherwise a Klutz it was great to find something I was good at.I've been swimming with USMS since 1974.
Day job,Psychiatrist
I started swim lessons at age 3 (parents dragged me out to the pool), and then started team swimming at age 7. I wasn't much of an athletic kid, but swimming kept me busy pretty much year 'round and by the time I hit high school I had a sport that I was at least "above average" in.
I think swimming is a sport all kids should at least try, even if just in a summer league or a swim-skill development class. It is good cross training for other sports anyhow, so it definately would not hurt.
My earliest memory is of splashing in my 1 ring blow up pool in the AZ heat when I was 3. Learned to swim in NY at 6. At 11 we moved back to CA and the neighborhood had a swimteam. Did not even need think about joining, it was natural. Swam summer league and high school in CA and NM. Always loved it. Speed up 25 years and a masters program opened up 5 miles from my house in TX. Again no thinking about it, joining was spontaneous and I am in my third year of masters! :fish2:
Why I started masters... I missed training and competing - joined USMS in 2004 (actually swam USMS in college to train in the summers in the late 90's) - I am currently a stay-at-home-mom.
I want to thank those on this site who advised me to get back into the pool again after having the kids. I felt guilty about leaving the house to have some pool time... but it's been the best thing for all of us!
Why I started swimming in the first place... it was my Mom's idea. I was chubby (still a constant battle today) and she wanted to find a fun activity for me. I was 12. Immediately noticed that I had a knack for it, fly was my best stroke at the start.
I started swimming because of my mother. When I was a baby, she enrolled me in the Water Babies program at the local YMCA. One quick toss in the pool later and my natural swim instinct kicked in, and I've been doing it to myself ever since.
I started competitive swimming because I was a rather fat teenager, and my parents wouldn't let me play football. I loved to swim, so mom pushed me in that direction. I gave it a shot to humor her, but 3 years later I was swimming at State level competitions.
A college scholarship kept me swimming through my freshman year until I broke both of my ankles in a horrific bunk-bed accident.
I've been out of the pool for almost 10 years now, and I'm finally stable in a location where I feel able to join a gym and stick with it. So here I am again, working off the chub, getting back into the swim of things.
My day job is IT. Mostly sedentary. Drives me nuts :)
What brought me to love swimming was actually being forced into a coaching position when I was younger. Up til that point it was just a hobby/past-time, etc. I was "encouraged" to start my own team during that time period, so I did. From then on, it has been a passion and will always be part of my life (and my kids' lives as well...whether they like it or not :D)
My day job...aquatic director and head coach...I guess it fits the bill, huh?!
My day job is IT. Mostly sedentary. Drives me nuts :)
Me too ... which I why I decided to switch to teaching, I don't like nuts. Well, I like cashews but they don't count.
One day my 6 y/o son, when asked what sport he wanted to play (ie soccer, t-ball, etc.) out of the blue, said he wanted to swim races - go figure. 3 years of age-group swimming for him later and of being a swim-dad for me, I'm so jealous of the fun he is having, and the fitness he is developing, that I join the masters team - at the tender age of 41. Now, at 44, I'm totally addicted, can't imagine life without masters swimming, and deeply regret I didn't pursue age-group swimming when I was younger. Day job? Psychologist.
