So is 92 the new 30?

aliciamariaq

In the past few days I have come across these 2 articles that I found pretty inspirational. Especially as we get older we wonder if we've still "got it".

http://www.greatfallstribune.com/story/life/my-montana/2015/03/25/still-kickin-year-old-swims-wins-usms-meet/70400890/

http://www.runnersworld.com/general-interest/woman-92-becomes-oldest-marathon-finisher?cid=social46764536&adbid=10152827156401987&adbpl=fb&adbpr=9815486986


What I found amazing was that Helena joined a Masters swim team when she was 72!
I actually swam with a lady who learned to swim in her 60s and now she gets "all the medals" especially butterfly! Lol!

mpeters1965

I saw those too! I am about to turn 50. I started swimming at 40. I figure if I start competing in my 70's my chances will be better. Maybe not though, there are some really fit people out there!

aliciamariaq

Haha! Yes I know! I think we will have to wait a while still. When I was in my 40's I was hoping I would place better at swimmeets but I keep racing against the same people that were faster than me 10 years before.

AquaticQuests

Should The Lord allow me to live that long, and in one piece, I seriously intend to swim well into my 90s at least, if not beyond!

aliciamariaq wrote: »

Haha! Yes I know! I think we will have to wait a while still. When I was in my 40's I was hoping I would place better at swimmeets but I keep racing against the same people that were faster than me 10 years before.

Perhaps because they are getting faster too, or perhaps because you're training regimen is geared towards long swims as opposed to sprint work!

aliciamariaq

Well my mother is almost 80 and she is still at it several days a week so I intend to keep at it at least as long as she has so far! As for the races, my events are 200 backstroke, 200, 400 and 800 free, so it's not so much a question of getting faster or difference in training it's just that my rivals are still doing the same events.

I do have a friend who was fast in his 40s and is even faster now in his 60s. His son is now also part of the same masters swim team and they compete against each other....

girlwithcurls2

When I discovered swimming last year, I realized that it was something I probably should at least dedicate enough time to learn, in the event that my land activities get dropped off as I age. I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I do. I hope I'm one of those people who can stick with this into my later years. I can't seem to convince any of my family to come and swim with me though, except my 12 year old. She's been great.

aliciamariaq

Swimming is definitely an activity that you can carry on doing for a long long time. Robertus's and AQ's elbow problems notwithstanding, compared to running, much gentler on the joints and in general leaves you much less prone to injury.
My daughter also swims with me but my husband will only swim with me in open water. He finds doing laps extremely boring. I love it, it's really mentally relaxing and physically challenging at the same time.

AquaticQuests

On the other end of the spectrum, here's a story on a 10 (TEN) year old swimming at the world championship! And she's not the absolute slowest either!
Wow!
http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/10-year-old-alzain-tareq-enjoying-world-championship-experience/