There’s Still No Crying in Butterfly: A Newbie’s Take On World Aquatics Masters Championships

By Olivia Jaras

FUKUOKA, JAPAN — Stepping onto the grand stage of World Aquatics Masters Championships in Kyushu, Japan, I felt a mix of excitement and nervousness. As a fairly new swimmer who had only been swimming masters for less than a year, and has only been *attempting* to swim butterfly for less than half of that time, it’s fair to say I felt slightly intimidated at Kyushu.

New England Masters on relay day at World Aquatics Masters Championships in August 2023

While I was humbled by the number of amazing swimmers from all over the world who had gathered for this prestigious event, the atmosphere at the championship was electric. Swimmers of all ages, backgrounds, and skill levels came together, united by their love for their sport. Olympians, world champions, moms, aunts, granddads, and people from all walks of life were there to perform at their best. It was a competitive atmosphere that simultaneously felt like a 10-day celebration of swimming and swimmers world-wide.

As to be expected, the competition was fierce, yet everybody was there to face, and hopefully exceed, their own personal swim ambitions. I found myself continuously awestruck by the grace and power displayed in the pool.

Kysa Crusco, Rainy Goodale and Olivia Jaras with some underwater fun in the warm up pool

Witnessing the sheer dedication and talent of these seasoned swimmers was my daily source of inspiration… which came in handy as I faced my biggest challenge yet: To swim the 100 fly in a 50-meter pool, without any tears, and without needing to be scraped from the bottom of the pool after the event.

Though I seriously considered scratching the event, I’m quite proud to report I finished the 100 fly, and did not need a rescue crew to remove me from the pool. My time might have been too slow to officially have been recorded, but I have witnesses to prove I finished.

Making friends as World Championships

Admittedly, I couldn’t hold back the tears before the start of the race. Staring down the lane behind the starting blocks, it felt like a daunting swim ahead. I questioned my sanity (and the sanity of everyone around me for voluntarily signing up for this), and why on earth I thought it reasonable to sign up for this event being such a newbie. With one heat to go, I had to clear the tears that had rendered my waterproof goggles useless. And as I cleared them, I looked to over to the stands, and all my New England teammates, my loved ones and my new friends were there cheering me on. 

Beyond the intense competition, what truly made this experience unforgettable, and what I found most invaluable was the sense of belonging I found within the masters swimming community. I may not be anywhere near being the best in the world at any event, but I discovered that in this supportive and inclusive environment, I have a community of people who shared a common purpose and understood the joys and challenges of swimming. The bonds forged during those days in Kyushu extended far beyond the championship itself. I realized that I have found my community, a group of like-minded individuals who will continue to inspire and support me all the way through training… until Singapore in 2025!

While the excitement of Worlds quickly dwindled after settling back into everyday life, I carry with me cherished memories, new friendships, and a deep appreciation for the power of swimming to bring people together. The Masters Swimming World Championship in Kyushu will forever hold a special place in my heart, a testament to the transformative power of sport and the enduring bonds of the masters swimming community.

Olivia Jaras swims for the UVRays and New England Masters. She lives in New Hampshire.

New England Strong!

On My Calendar in Ink: New England Summer Swims

By Jocelyn Nokes

Every spring I can hardly wait for the lakes in New England to warm up enough to start open water swimming (OWS), and I look forward to planning my summer OWS events calendar.  There are three events I always make sure to mark in ink. I look forward to these events every year for very different reasons.

Swim with a Mission Honor the Fallen Memorial Swim Relay in July 2023

Swim With A Mission (SWAM), held annually in July at beautiful Newfound Lake, NH, offers several different events including 1k, 5k, and 10k individual competitive swims, a 10K competitive relay and a non-competitive 5k “Honor the Fallen” Memorial Swim Relay pulling the Fallen Soldier Battlefield Memorial kayak.  There are other non-swim fundraising events such as paintball.  Funds raised support Veteran Service Organizations. Navy SEALS and their Military Working Dogs line up to give high-fives as you enter and exit the water, Gold Star Families are in attendance to cheer you on, and special guest speakers get the event underway and are a part of the post swim ceremony. If that doesn’t get your patriotic juices flowing, then seeing the Fallen Soldier Battlefield Memorial kayak with name pennants of the fallen fluttering in the breeze will. I have raced this event before, but for the past 2 years I have been part of the “Honor the Fallen” Memorial Relay. As a veteran myself, and with the names of my fallen family members and friends on some of those pennants, this event holds a special place in my heart. The Memorial Relay team members enjoy working together to support swimmers of differing abilities during their turn pulling. Each puller is accompanied by a safety kayak and at least one other swimmer while the others rest and ride on an escort boat.  However, often several of the teammates jump back in the water in a team effort to escort the puller, we enjoy the camaraderie and support involved. I’m pretty sure it’s my imagination but I think I can hear the crowd chanting “USA! USA! USA!” Can you hear it?

Overall female wetsuit 1 mile podium: 1) Jocelyn Nokes; 2) Kelley Ohara; 3) Lindsay Macmahon

Glen Lake Swim, Goffstown, NH is held in August each year and hosts both 1 and 2 mile races. The proceeds from this event help support the Granite State Health and Fitness Foundation supporting local recreational opportunities and aquatic safety. Past proceeds helped with the installation of granite stairs leading into the lake that all participants use. This not only makes the entry/exit point safer, they also help preserve the shoreline. I enjoy the hometown feel and also the creativity that goes into this event each year keeps me coming back! I have raced this event every year since inception and every year there is a different theme, and the directors go all out: “The Search for Glennie,” “Glennie Rises,” “Glennie Strikes Back,” “The Beast from Loch Glennie,” and this year’s “Viva Las Glennie,” was complete with an Elvis impersonator entertaining us with the original Viva Las Glennie song and finisher medals of Viva Las Glennie records on Hawaiian Leis. Even the podium awards creatively reflect each year’s theme, Vegas style dice and framed records were on tap this year! Traditionally, once the theme is announced, videos are created with town leaders and others who are closely associated with the theme posted to the website and social media.  This boosts the anticipation and lead up to the event over several months. On the day of the event local talent leads the National Anthem, leaders from the Abenaki Tribe bless the water, and members of a local dance studio take us through a short on-shore warmup.  Then we are off to the races with the two milers heading out on their two-loop course followed by the one milers.  Historically there has been a sighting of Glennie the lake monster during every race! Don’t worry, she’s friendly!  After the swim there is a Mini-Glennie Expo and awards ceremony. This is a great time to catch up with swim friends and their families and try your luck in winning swim related prizes! Later in the year a movie re-cap of the event is shown at a local theater which ends with the announcement of next year’s theme. It’s so much fun, I can hardly wait, can you?

Jocelyn Nokes completing the Wild Bill Challenge

The Wild Bill Swim Challenge, South Pond, MA is also held in August.  2023 was the event’s second year running and it didn’t disappoint! Who is Wild Bill you ask? That would be the event organizer’s late father, Wild Bill Yorzyk, Olympic gold medalist, 200 fly world record holder and Massachusetts native who didn’t learn to swim until he was 16.  Proceeds from the event benefit the Wild Bill Swim mission: helping children learn to swim and water safety.  Why is this called a challenge? Because it is not actually a race, but a challenge for swimmers of various abilities to give their best effort in whichever distance they choose between 1, 2, 3 miles or 400 yards. The swimmers are well supported throughout their swim and each participant’s name is announced as they finish their individual challenge, arrive back on shore, and receive their participant’s medal.  The Yorzyk family and event volunteers make you feel like you’re a part of their family. It is the family feel of this event that keeps me coming back. Some nice event swag and a raffle fundraiser add to the fun too.  So, are you ready for this challenge?

As the 2023 OWS begins to wrap up, I am on the lookout for more 2024 events. There are many events I’d like to participate in, but these three favorites will be on my calendar in ink!

Memorial for the Fallen at Swim with a Mission in July 2023, Newfound Lake, Bristol, NH

SwimRI Takes on USMS Long Course Nationals

By Sarah Sutton

SwimRI contingent of NEM at USMS Summer Nationals

Sarasota, FL - The first week of August, I hopped a flight to Sarasota, Florida with several of my SwimRI training partners and joined the rest of our NEM team for a reverse snowbird trip to USMS Long Course Nationals.

“Why would you go to Florida in August?” our friends, family, and co-workers, who don’t understand what could possibly drive a person to swim thousands of yards each week, let alone go to swim meets for grownups, asked us.

I won’t lie – I asked myself the same question when we stepped off the plane into a heavy blanket of wet air and the scorching Florida sun.

This meet was going to be an adjustment for us New Englanders – who are used to swimming backstroke under a pool with a roof; who can barely handle a few weeks of humidity in the summer; and who had only managed about 10 days of training in a long course pool before this meet. To make matters worse, the meet started at 7 a.m. most days (with warmups at 6!), a problem for our group as Chuck Barnes is allergic to swimming before noon.

But the water at the Selby Aquatic Center in Sarasota was mercifully cool, and the timers were brave enough to withstand the heat and dump buckets of cold water onto the blocks before each race so we wouldn’t burn our feet.

All in all, it was a strong week of racing for both SwimRI and our NEM teammates. Our little group left the meet with multiple New England and national records, a world record for Chuck in the 100 backstroke, and 10 first place finishes. I lost count of the New England records set by the NEM relay teams. And as a group, the 24 swimmers from New England Masters finished second overall in the regional club category.

I learned several lessons from my first long course meet since high school:

• The pace you “think” you can keep in the mile in a long course pool is much faster than the pace you will actually be able to keep.

• It’s possible to completely die in the last ten meters of a 50-meter sprint.

• It’s not a great idea to use your flip turns to catch your breath, as it will only slow you down and won’t make you any less tired. (My counter in the mile, Tara Mack, told me she thought I was going to stop and say hi every time I approached the wall).

• The pool feels longer than 50 meters when you’re swimming backstroke and can’t see how far away the wall is.

• When lightning flashes in the middle of a relay, 9 out of 10 masters swimmers will leap from the blocks and finish the race, so they won’t have to swim it again.

• Chuck Barnes may look superhuman when he swims… but if you wake him up before 10 a.m., he struggles to even get in the pool to warm up. Coffee doesn’t help.

• Don’t let Stuart Cromarty show you and your teammates’ races on replay… he’ll freeze frame all your mistakes and you’ll hear about them for months to come!

• Cheering for your teammates becomes even more fun after you sneak out of the meet for a few beers.

• Did I already say that the mile in a long course pool is ridiculously hard?

Chuck Barnes, Sarah Sutton and Stuart Cromarty enjoying the beach life.

The best part of the trip may well have been the last day, when, exhausted from 5 days of racing, we split our time between the tiki bar and diving for sand dollars at one of the most beautiful (and warmest) beaches I’ve ever visited.

For those of you who have never been to a USMS Nationals meet, it’s always well worth the trip – to race with your teammates, to be a part of awesome NEM relays, to visit new places, and to meet other swimmers from all over the country. Hope to see more of you at the next one!

Sarah Sutton swims for workout group SwimRI and club team New England Masters.

Accomplishing the Impossible: Grit and Determination Drive Successful Alcatraz Swim

My aunt dropped me off on a muggy summer day in July 2022. As I climbed the stairs to the office of my physical therapist, Casey, I contemplated how to break the news.

We started off the session making small talk. As he rotated my stubborn shoulder, I finally proclaimed, “I’m going to swim from Alcatraz to San Francisco next summer.”

Casey stared at me for a few seconds before responding, “Victoria, I admire that you set goals, but this one is a stretch for you. Honestly, I think it’s impossible”.

“I know,” I said, smiling. “But I’m going to do it anyway.”

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The years 2021 and 2022 were tough in all aspects of my life. In March 2021, I fractured my hip moving my husband’s motorcycle. Then I fell ill with pneumonia in May and relapsed in June. And just when I started feeling better, I contracted COVID-19 and was carted away in an ambulance for what became a 10-day hospital stay, the first six of which I was so weak I could barely lift my arm to reach the call bell.

Upon returning home, I was confined to six weeks of bed rest. Being out of breath became my new norm, talking required use of an inhaler, and I needed in-home nursing care and physical and respiratory therapy. My husband moved out in November, filed for divorce just before Christmas, and in March I was officially, bewilderingly divorced.

Just as I started to rebound from these personal setbacks, in June 2022 I hit a deer while riding a motorcycle, shattering my clavicle. What was supposed to be a one-hour surgery turned into a three-hour procedure due to bone fragments that had shredded muscles and ligaments in my shoulder. With no PTO or sick leave, the 10-week recovery out of work quickly became a financial disaster.

I did not know what to do or how to keep going.

Soon after, my best friend suggested that I needed a fresh start to rid my “bad juju.” I initially thought she was nuts, but the more I considered it, the more my mindset changed. Later that day, I saw a video about a swim from Alcatraz to San Francisco and decided that this is what I needed — a fresh start with a new goal.

I subsequently moved to New Hampshire’s Lakes Region and started a new job. My new home enabled me to keep my horse nearby on the property, and the Lakes Region provided many beautiful swimming holes. I was finally in a good place.

In January 2023, I joined a local pool and started training for the Alcatraz Swim. I had swum, lifeguarded, taught, and coached swimming for over 15 years, but with zero open water experience I soon realized I needed to find a coach.

I called Suzan Ballmar of Breakaway Athletic Coaching and explained my goal. She tried to dissuade me, explaining that San Francisco Bay was challenging for veteran open water swimmers, never mind newbies. Also, I lived an hour away from her.

Nonetheless, I was willing to do the work and managed to convince her to coach me. In February, we established a training plan that included three written workouts per week plus a monthly in-person training session.

The first few weeks were tough. The written workouts did not look overly difficult, but my health complications made a 1,200-yard swim feel like 10 miles. Some days, it took me 90 minutes to swim 1,000 yards, after which I could barely climb out of the pool. Other days, my shoulder hurt so much I was forced to kick most of the workout.

Despite these hurdles, I made gains and Suzan was confident I’d be ready to take on San Francisco Bay. My practice distances steadily increased, and by June I was swimming 4,000 yards in just over an hour. Progress!

I booked and paid for my flights, hotel, wetsuit rental, and swim support. The big day was set for Saturday, July 8, at 8 a.m. But true to form, there was a last-minute snag five days before my swim — the store I rented my wetsuit from canceled my rental.

I called Suzan in tears. How could I secure a new wetsuit in five days while traveling across the country around the July 4th holiday? Ultimately, though, my panic was unfounded — within a few hours Suzan secured a wetsuit for me to borrow. I picked it up the next day and was on my way to California.

On July 8, I woke to a cold and windy day. My family helped me get ready in the parking lot as nerves set in. Six of us were swimming that day, all first-timers. During the safety briefing, the captain explained that the boat would be positioned up front with the fastest swimmer and the kayak in the rear trailing the group. He reminded us that the swim was not a race and described the conditions as 3 to 4-foot swells and strong currents. I thought “no big deal,” until I got out on the boat and saw the extent of 4-foot swells.

With Alcatraz looming, I glanced at my sister and said, “I can’t believe I’m doing this.” She offered an encouraging smile and replied, “don’t worry, you got this.”

Go time. I’m third into the water. Cold shocks my body like a lightning bolt, but I kick into action and start swimming toward the first mark. True to the captain’s words, the waves are big and the current strong. I stroke hard but feel stuck in place, with little visibility above or below the water. A seal pops up next to me, then just as quickly disappears.

Occasionally, as I rotate to breathe, a wave crashes over me, rolling me onto my back. “This is insane,” I think, but then remember the hardships and near-death experiences I’ve endured. I’ve come too far to give up now. I glance back at Alcatraz and soldier on. The water is 58 degrees, but only my face is cold.

Near the halfway point, I pause in the middle of San Francisco Bay to take in the scenery and realize I’m all alone. The boat is far ahead and the kayak far behind. As I continue on and approach the shore, I remember the captain’s instructions not to go to shore without his signal, because undershooting the current could sweep me away. The boat eventually reaches me and gives the go-ahead signal, but I’m a half-mile farther down the beach than the intended finish area. My 1.5-mile swim has become more like 2 miles. As I reach landfall, my family runs down the beach to congratulate me.

My goal had been to complete the swim in under 80 minutes, which I beat handily, finishing in 50 minutes even with the extra distance. This swim is by far the hardest thing I’ve ever done, rightly earning its reputation as one of the hardest swims in U.S.

Best of all, though, I accomplished what I was told was impossible.

By Victoria Dow of Pittsfield, New Hampshire.