Competitive swimmers from around North America are pooling their talent in Kelowna this weekend.
500 swimmers are taking part in the Canadian Masters Swimming Competition, the largest swim meet ever held in the Okanagan.
Many of competitors are in their 70’s or 80’s. The oldest is 93 years old.
“There’s a whole mix,” said organizer Tony Hoft. “There are folks who started as teenagers and maybe gave it a bit of a break and then come back in their middle age. There are people who started at 65 and we’ve got a couple who started at 70.”
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Some of the swimmers once competed at a very high level.
“I swam at the U.S. Olympic trials back in 1980,” said Mike Hamm of Idaho.
“When the Olympic swimmers go back into life, they have kids and get jobs. They are lost. Masters Swimmers picks them up,” said 80 year old Connie Stamhuis.
One man enjoys that the competition pits swimmers against others in the same age range.
“We are getting slower as we get older,” said Richard Roberts, who hails from St. Albert, Alberta. “We’re not as spry as we used to be but we can still be competitive as we get older.”
“Some people are world class and some are just goofing around. It’s all good for me,” said Hamm.
One swimmer came from as far away as England.
“It keeps you young and fit,” said Elaine Bromwich from Rugby, England. “And you meet loads of people and get to go to all these places.”
The Canadian Masters Swimming competition runs until Monday and is being held at the H2O Centre in Kelowna.
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