Competitive swimmer at 77

Try, Granddaddy

I stood on the starting block slanting toward the seven-foot-deep water below, getting ready to swim my first Masters race in an authentic Olympic swimming pool at Georgia Tech in Atlanta. Three teammates stood behind me eager to start the race. About 130 Masters swimmers and their coaches had gathered around the pool to watch the first men’s 200-yard relay. Family and friends sat in the stadium seats overlooking the pool and cheered on their swimmers.

I was full of self-doubt, questioning my ability to compete and asking how I got myself into this situation.

A year and a half earlier, in May 2022, I had back surgery for pinched nerves, which caused numbness in both feet, atrophy, and the inability to balance on my right leg. Osteoarthritis complicated my condition.

About a week after the surgery, I began an extensive exercise regimen, in addition to physical therapy. Within a year, my body was fully functional, but my mobility remained limited.

In June 2023, because of my limited mobility, I began swimming at the University of Georgia Ramsey Student Center. By August, I noticed that my mobility had improved, but I realized I needed to improve my strokes and efficiency in the water. So, at 75 years old, I took eight swimming lessons from the Athens Bulldog Swim Club (ABSC). Coach Mary Owen Howell, affectionately known as Mo, taught my first two lessons.

Mo watched me swim and told me that I was a fast swimmer. She encouraged me to join the Masters. I didn’t believe her, but mostly, I didn’t believe in myself. After all, I did not come from a competitive swimming background. I did, however, become a strong swimmer when I worked as a lifeguard and a water safety instructor in my late teens.

So, I officially joined the Masters program at ABSC in late September 2023. After two sessions, I told Head Coach Laura Templin that the practices were too difficult for me. Coach Mo overheard the conversation and offered to help me transition into the practices.

She suggested I swim in the lane next to hers so she could modify the instructions allowing me to swim for an hour with the team.

With her help, Laura’s understanding, and the support of my teammates, I eventually gained the necessary confidence to swim for an hour at the ABSC practices.

Toward the end of November, Mo encouraged me to compete in the Georgia Tech Masters swim meet in Atlanta on December 19. I told her I was not confident enough to compete because I had only been swimming for ABSC for about two months and that I did not even know how to do flip turn. She countered my objections and explained that I could do fine with an open turn in competition.

She reminded me that the Georgia Tech pool was built for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and that I should swim in an official Olympic pool for bragging rights.

I told her that I appreciated her encouragement and confidence, but I doubted I would compete.

A few days later while driving my twelve-year-old granddaughter Ava to her gymnastics practice, I told her my coach wanted me to compete in an upcoming swim meet at Georgia Tech. I explained why I was reluctant. From the back seat Ava listened to all the reasons I gave for not competing.

When I finished, I asked Ava what she thought her grandfather should do. I looked in the rearview mirror at Ava. After a brief pause, she quietly said, “I think you should try, Granddaddy.”

I smiled and said, “Okay, I will try.”

On the day of the meet, I arrived a little late at Georgia Tech. Paul Clark, an ABSC team member, rushed up to me and said, “I am glad you made it because we have a relay race in about 10 minutes.”

I said, “What do you mean by ‘we’?”

“There are only three other ABSC male teammates. We need a fourth, and you are it!” he said.

I protested. “You don’t understand. This is my first rodeo!”

“Don’t worry about it,” he said. “You’ll do fine.”

He turned and quickly headed toward the warmup pool.

About 10 minutes later, I stood on the slanting block, trying to steady myself for my first Masters race. Two of my relay teammates swam at an earlier practice session than me, so we didn’t know each other.

Suddenly, I lost my balance and fell off the block into the bone-chilling water. Embarrassed, I scrambled up the ladder and out of the water and rushed back to the block as fast as I could. I felt the prying eyes of everyone watching the race. Fear and self-doubt flooded my mind. How had I got myself into this embarrassing situation, I thought, but in my rush, I had no time to think about it because all eyes were on me.

When I returned to the starting block, my teammate Jonathan Dunn, a virtual stranger, encouraged me to place my hand on his shoulder so that I could properly set up on the block and again face the seven-foot-deep water awaiting me.

As the starter beep pierced the natatorium, I dove headfirst into the cold water. The piercing sound and frigid water shot adrenaline throughout my body.   I swam 50 yards freestyle as fast, as if my life was in mortal danger. When I touched the wall, the second teammate dove over me and began his 50-yard swim. Panting, I slowly climbed up the ladder onto the deck, water trailing behind me. I had no idea how I had performed. I was just thankful I went the distance, didn’t lose my bathing suit, and the race was over. And then I smiled when I realized that I had finished my first Masters race.

Later in the meet, I swam a 50-yard freestyle race and a 100-yard freestyle race using open turns while teammates clapped for me. After each race, my teammates offered words of encouragement. I didn’t realize until my last race that electronic scoreboards showed our times and places in each heat.

At the end of the meet, my teammate Paul congratulated me on winning all my races.

“I didn’t win my races,” I responded. “I saw the scoreboard in my last race. I came in seventh out of 10 in my heat.”

I laughed and added “I didn’t lose my bathing suit, and I didn’t come in last, so I consider my first meet a success!”

Paul looked puzzled.

“Yes, at 75, I am a winner by just being here!” I asserted.

Paul, still puzzled, said nothing as he turned and walked away.

I saw a teammate at a table looking at computer printouts and picking up blue, red, and yellow ribbons as I walked toward the exit. I chuckled and thought to myself, “There is nothing there for me.”

When I entered my car to return to Athens, I received a text from Mo saying I had won first place in all three races in my age bracket of 75-79, and Coach Laura would give me my three first-place blue ribbons at practice on Monday.

At first, I was stunned and amazed. Then I laughed out loud. I sent several texts to friends and family informing them of the unexpected results. The first text went to Ava with the message “I tried” and a smiley face.

In 2024, I enjoyed participating in 13 meets. By participating in the meets, I became a Masters teammate with many talented and younger swimmers. I also enjoyed meeting other Masters swimmers who were welcoming, encouraging, and helpful.

Preparing for the meets also helped restore my mobility and provided an opportunity to build my confidence.

In September, I participated in the Georgia Golden Olympics, where I won five gold medals. I also won the 2024 Georgia Masters Swimming Grand Prix by scoring most points in my age group at all the 2024 Georgia meets.

I would not have achieved any of this without Coach Mo seeing the potential in an aging athlete and her steadfast confidence in me, nor without Ava’s advice of “Try, Granddaddy.” My greatest lesson in all of this: We are never too old to try.

Jack Lance is a former magistrate judge and retired attorney who moved with his wife Glenda to Athens from Conyers in 2017.