Many remember scoring that goal or winning a race as a fond childhood memory. But growing up doesn’t have to mean the end of team sports! Two swimmers, Rossella Pescatori and Chris Wall, keep competing as adults, which reminds them how they fell in love with the water in the first place.
Pescatori, 45, was heartbreakingly close to competing in the Olympics for her native Italy. She placed third in the 200-meter breaststroke in the trials both in 1988 and in 1992-missing the team by one spot! Now, the swim coach and Italian instructor approaches competitions differently.
“The atmosphere at the local meets is friendly, and there is no pressure,” Pescatori said. “Anytime you finish a race you win. I should’ve taken that attitude when I was younger. I would’ve performed better.”
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Pescatori coaches twice per week for Southern California Aquatics (SCAQ) in El Segundo. A group of her swimmers are interested in competing, and she has set up a blog: http://competitivescaq.blogspot.com/2016/02/swimming-meets-calendar.html to encourage more to join them.
Chris Wall, 54, who started workouts with SCAQ at the Westwood Recreation Center without any previous experience, said the environment at the meets is “very encouraging” for all levels of swimmers.
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Wall joined SCAQ in 2007 and credits the club with changing his lifestyle. Though he used to run track in college, he found he could no longer run the distances he once could and so he decided to try swimming, an exercise that does not put weight on the joints.
Wall realized that he missed the excitement of competing, so he decided to take a chance and sign up for a swim meet. He has now participated in about 25. Despite picking up the sport in middle age, he can boast several breakout performances. In 2013, he placed third in his age group for the 50 free at Nationals, and in 2014, his relay placed first, also at Nationals.
Both Wall and Pescatori view swimming as a stress-reliever from the busy day.
“I swim when I need to vent my pent-up energy. It’s exercise for every part of the body. You work out everything in an hour, and when you’re done, you’re also clean,” Pescatori said.