I swam in high school. I wanted to make the Olympics, but I ended up working and going to school. Much later, when i was about 50, I saw an article in the paper about a local man who had won the shot-put event at the Senior Olympics. It turned out he went to my church. He said you had to be 55 in order to compete in the Senior Games, so the article sat on my desk for five years. When I turned 55, I started working out. I hadn’t swum in 37 years. But swimming is a forgiving sport; it’s easier on your body. And it helped motivate me to quit smoking. For me, swimming is more about feelings and health than it is about the water. As you get old you need something that inspires you. I like to have a goal. And by working out I can eat, and my waistline doesn’t move—even though I do love Arctic Swirl shakes.