Mary Brown’s story, originally shared by CBC News, is a testament to the timeless benefits of staying active, regardless of age. At 94, she continues to swim competitively, proving that age should never be a barrier to enjoying the rewards of physical activity. Brown’s journey underscores the simple truth: you’re never too old to swim and experience its positive impact on both body and mind.
Mary Brown said that when she joined the Regina Masters Swim Club in the late 1970s, she did not think she’d still be swimming at age 94. Forty years later, she has no plans of stopping.
Brown was raised in Regina and began swimming in Wascana Lake as a young child. Her brother was a lifeguard, and the family would frequently travel the 30 minutes from the city to Regina Beach to swim.
In 1977, Brown joined the Regina Masters Club as one of its founding members. Brown said another member decided it would be best to start the club while parents watched their children swim.
“As we sat there, [the other mother] said to me, ‘What are we sitting here for? We should be swimming ourselves,'” Brown recalled.
The club’s members regularly attend meets across the country and Brown often participates. Most recently she attended a meet on March 9 where she took part in a 25-metre swim.
Brown said she’s had to slow down a bit. She no longer has the lung capacity she once did. Despite this hurdle, she still swims several times a week with the club. She said her years of swimming have allowed her to continue with athletics well into old age.
“I’d like to continue because I feel swimming is keeping me in good health,” she said. “I’ve always been in good health and I think that’s what’s helped me.”
Brown’s daughter, Melanie Leverick, also swims with the club. She joined in September 1977, just a few months after her mom. She says she feels encouraged watching her mother continue swimming all these years later.
“I have exercise-induced asthma, so sometimes I have a heck of a time breathing, but I’ve never thought about giving up because I want to keep at it like Mom is,” said Leverick.
Leverick said she has early memories of swimming at Regina Beach with her siblings, just like her mother. She said they would spend summers at her grandparents’ lakefront property in Lebret, where being in the water was one of their favourite things to do.
“We’ve just always been swimming,” she said.
Leverick said she’s happy her mother still gets in the water, and hopes she will continue to do so.
“We want her to keep doing it as much as she can,” she said. “Yes, she’s slowing down, but at least she’s still doing it. Because she’s keeping active, it’s keeping her healthy.”
Brown said she encourages other athletes to find time to continue their sport and stay active after retirement.
“You’ve got to keep moving,” she said. “A lot of people who retire, some of them just give up. Well to me you can’t, you mustn’t do that. You’ve got to keep moving.”
Click here to read the article posted by CBC News
Source: Tyreike Reid · CBC News · Posted: Mar 21, 2024 10:34 AM EDT | Last Updated: March 21
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Note: This article was originally shared by CBC News and reposted on the Bremner Pool Website blog. If you have any concerns about its reposting, please contact us for removal.
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