Swimmer's Daily

  • A Florida family captured video of an alligator trespassing on their property and taking a dip in their backyard swimming pool.

    Carlos Rivera said he had to convince his family he wasn’t pranking them when he alerted them to the gator swimming in the pool behind their Hillsborough County home.

    “I noticed there was a gator in there. I told everybody, but everybody thought I was just joking,” Rivera told WFTS-TV.

    Rivera and his daughter, Veronica, called for backup from Veronica’s boyfriend and decided to handle the trespasser without calling wildlife authorities for help.

    “We saw him walking around for a while and we were wondering who we should call like my dad said and then we decided it’s probably best because it was a baby alligator so we thought we could handle it,” Veronica Rivera said.

    The group scooped the gator up in a garbage bin and released it in a nearby pond where alligators are known to reside.

    See UPI

  • A cliff diver was rescued Wednesday afternoon after he was knocked unconscious at Beale Falls.

    According to Cal Fire, the victim jumped from approximately 70 feet above the water and was knocked unconscious upon impact with the water.

    Fortunately, a group of competitive swimmers from the Bay Area witnessed the whole thing and swam over to rescue the victim.

    “It was about three minutes he was face down in the water,” Jacklyn Scheberies, one of the hero swimmers, said.

    Scheberies is a sophomore at the University of Nevada – Las Vegas and is on the Rebels swim team. Friends Lauren Francis, Malia Henry and Sarah Livingston swam with Scheberies at Castro Valley High School and on a summer swimming team.

    “Something is so wrong and we need to fix it. There was no thought process. It was just happening. So much adrenaline. It was just a go for it moment. Mind completely blank,” Francis, another hero swimmer who just graduated from Castro Valley, said.

    The swimmers were able to get him to the shore and waited until rescuers arrived.

    See CBS Sacramento

  • A devastating fire burned to the ground Lochearn Community Club Swimming Pool on what was supposed to be the Opening Day for its 62nd season.

    Brian Pinkney has been a volunteer swim coach at the facility for 21 years. Over the last few weeks, he’s been working with members to get the swim club ready for Opening Day.

    “I still have some marks on my thumb from raking weeks prior,” he said.

    But those efforts have since been halted as investigators try to determine what caused the fire. Flames tore through the main office – built in the 1950’s – which housed the locker rooms and all of the pool equipment.

    It also destroyed mementos, awards and memorabilia from over the years.

    Pinkney said the silver lining, though, has been the incredible response from the community.

    “Tributes and the testimony that they’ve put on our Facebook page and GoFundMe page. It brings tears to your eyes,” he said.

    See CBS Local

  • As more businesses begin to reopen, many are still waiting to get started.

  • Turkish Para swimmer Sumeye Boyaci shows that you can do anything you put your mind to. Born with no arms, the teenage talent has become one of Turkey’s most successful Para swimmers as well as a successful artist. This is her story so far.

  • Three rounds of two dives each chasing a Gold Medal at the FINA World Championships. This was the mission of France’s Laura Marino and Matthieu Rosset at the FINA World Championships 2017 in Budapest! Relive their outstanding performances in the Mixed 3m/10m Team Final, which ended in a well-deserved victory. They won the Gold Medal ahead of Mexico and the USA.

  • On today’s Propulsion Swimming Podcast we discuss what swimming pools could look like when they reopen and how it can be safely achieved while balancing the need for them to make money. ⁠

    We also suggest different training methods swimming clubs could use to combat social distancing, including locating individual swimmers start positions at 10m intervals around the pool!⁠

  • Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds announced Wednesday she is further relaxing restrictions and allowing businesses to reopen in more capacities.

    During a news conference, Gov. Reynolds announced effective Friday, June 12 the 50% capacity limit currently in place for Iowa businesses will be lifted.

    Reynolds said certain businesses such as restaurants, bars and theaters will still be required to maintain social distancing measures.

    “Eliminating the capacity restrictions will allow businesses the flexibility to adjust their specific operations accordingly, to best meet the needs of their employees and customers,” said Gov. Reynolds.

    See KTIV

     

  • Seniors who exercise live an average of five years longer, says a study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. Tracking participants aged 68 to 77, the study showed that putting in just 30 minutes of exercise of any intensity – including a gentle exercise like swimming – reduced the likelihood of dying by 40% during the 11-year study. Swimming is an ideal exercise activity for seniors because it does not stress out the joints or bones, yet can provide a fantastic daily cardiovascular workout. If you are aged over 65 and you’d like to give swimming a go, you might find the following tips useful.

    Photo by Mario Gogh on Unsplash

    Getting Your Doctor’s Okay

    Whenever seniors start a new exercise regime, it is useful to get their doctor’s approval first. This is especially true if you have heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, high blood pressure, cancer or arthritis. Usually, if you have no symptoms, you can start exercising gently and slowly work up your intensity. However, a visit to the doctor may be necessary if you have any symptoms that could be related to heart or lung disease, or other chronic illnesses..

    Getting Ready

    Before you go on your swim, make sure you have all the items you need – including a sports swimsuit, non-slip shoes for the pool, a nice soft robe, a towel, and a swimming cap. Don’t forget your goggles either: they will help you see the ends of the pool quickly and if you don’t use them, your eyes can get irritated. Make sure to pack a couple of energy snacks in your sports bag as well if you will be heading for a gym or public pool. Try trail mix or an energy bar to ensure you have the fuel you need for your workout. Finally, make sure to pack an energy drink or water; you will probably feel very thirsty after your workout.

    Building Confidence In The Water

    If you are new to swimming, build your confidence in the water slowly. Starting out with professional lessons is key so that you ensure you are going at the right pace and performing strokes with the right technique and style. Knowing how to stroke through the water can increase your aerodynamics and speed, but using the right breathing techniques is also vital to boost your endurance and confidence in the water. Find a swim class for adults near you if you want to hone the basics such as kicking, hand position, leg position, and the like. This will stand you in good stead when you are swimming alone and you are using the right form as you complete your set of laps for the day. A good teacher will also be able to show you how to stretch and warm-up before jumping into the pool.

    Learning First Aid

    Whether you will be swimming alone or doing so in the company of friends and family, knowing poolside first aid (such as how to help someone who is drowning or has had a cramp in the water) can also help you feel more confident. During a first aid course, you can also learn about how to identify people who are drowning – for instance, someone who is crawling along the wall of the pool or clinging to a flotation device may be doing so because they are too exhausted to sustain themselves in the water.

    If you are a senior who wishes to take up swimming, few choices of exercise could be better. Swimming is gentle on the joints and can be adapted to your level, making it ideal for beginners and highly fit athletes alike. If you are ready to start, get your doctor’s ‘OK’, buy a few key items, and start swimming and first aid lessons soon. This will ensure you are as confident as you can be every time you visit the pool or gym.

    Guest post by Sara Zipf