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swimming Archives - Britt Fit

Life Stuff with Mike Shaffer

By | Fitness, Life Stuff, Swimming, Triathlon, Uncategorized | 3 Comments

If you’ve enjoyed reading about how fellow athletes have overcome adversity in this Life Stuff series, you are in for another treat! Mike Shaffer is a lifelong high-performing athlete with an impressive competitive resume in swimming, triathlon, and aquabike. His journey has not been without its share of valleys, though.

In 1994, Mike was nearly killed when he was struck head-on by a drunk driver during a training ride. After hitting the hood and going through the windshield of the Ford Escort, his injuries included a severed left quad, broken right foot, and knees that required reconstruction. In a 2006 interview with USMS Swimmer, Mike recalls that he returned to the pool 3 months after the accident using a one-legged turn and buoy to keep his legs afloat.

From there, he used small, realistic goals in the pool to keep himself motivated and incrementally improving.

“I was determined. I kept setting goals: 40-second 50s today…It refreshed me. I think it helped to light a fire again. Every week I was trying a new challenge.”

The following month, he completed his annual One Hour USMS swim relying almost entirely on his upper body. Another 6 months later (10 months post-accident), Mike completed Ironman Canada, setting a personal best time and a race swim course record of 43 minutes and 54 seconds. During the same season, he was awarded the USA Triathlon Comeback Award as well as gold and silver medals in the FINA Masters World Swimming Championships.

Mike claims a positive outlook and refusal to give up were the key ingredients in his return to competition. “It may take time, but stick with it” he says.

About a decade after his “comeback” into triathlon, Mike was all but forced out of the sport again. In 2004, his doctor told him to ‘stop running now or we can go ahead and schedule your knee replacement surgeries.’ Mike’s triathlon career ended soon after that discussion. However, just a few months later USAT would announce an aquabike pilot program starting in 2005. “It was a perfect transition for me” he recalls.

Mike claims 1st Overall at Aquabike Age Group Nationals in Miami, 2016

Since aquabike’s official launch, “Aquabike Mike” has earned national and world titles in the sport. At the same time, he has remained competitive in the pool where he regularly wins national titles and sets national standards on the way. As someone who has witnessed many of Mike’s training sessions and competitions first-hand, I can say that to observe him in the pool (and ocean) or on a bike is to see a masterpiece being painted. His chosen canvas is the water and the road.

Life Stuff with Donna Waltmann

By | Life Stuff, Meet the Athlete, Swimming | 3 Comments

Lately, I have been wanting to write/post about people in a different way than my usual Q&A “Meet the Athlete” format. I’ve been stirred by the stories of others, some of whom are very close to me personally, and others who have absolutely no idea who I am. I want to share some of their stories with you in hopes that you will take some encouragement or lessons from them. I believe that regardless of what our own “life stuff” is, we can grow in empathy by getting a sneak peek into others’ lives, and perhaps learn something valuable for ourselves in the process. I am so proud to share the story of a woman I met at the Ventura Aquatic Center nearly four years ago. I have the pleasure of seeing her everyday when I walk onto the pool deck at 5:50 a.m. (she is in the water at 5:30!). She has an aura of joy that those around her can’t help but notice. Thanks for sharing your story with us, Donna!

 

Life Stuff 1st ed.

Donna Waltmann

    

    Someone once gave me some very wise advice.  She said, “You didn’t gain weight overnight so you won’t lose it overnight either”.  My name is Donna and I have been overweight most of my adult life. I have tried almost every quick fix diet on the market.  I have tried “no fat”, “no carb”, and protein shakes. I even allowed myself to be hypnotized once!

    Nothing worked in the long run.  I would lose weight only to gain it back plus some extra.  In my research for the “magic cure” I soon realized there isn’t one.  Weight loss requires hard work and discipline if you want long term results.  

   I knew that exercise, along with dietary changes, were going to be what was necessary to achieve long term results.  In September 2014 I found BuenaVentura Swim Club and Ventura County Masters. I had been swimming by myself at a gym for a few months, but I was bored and not as consistent as I wanted to be.  A coworker was talking to me about how she was on a soccer team and I thought, “I want to be on a team!”.

   Swimming with people that are so accomplished in the sport has been very motivating.  To have someone that has achieved so much take an interest in my progress means so much.   I have also greatly benefited from coaches who have helped me set goals for myself in regards to swimming times.  I never played sports as a child and did not come to swimming with that mindset. Having people help me set goals turned swimming into a fun activity and not just an exercise program that can begin to feel like a chore.  It also doesn’t hurt that if I skip practice people notice and ask where I was.

   In the past 3 ½ years I have lost 126 pounds.  When people ask me how I did it I tell them swimming 6 mornings a week, but there is more to it than that.  Surrounding myself with people who are motivated to be healthy and active has translated into a desire for me to be healthy and active.  When my coaches and teammates started believing I could get faster in the pool I started believing it too. This translated into a belief that I could lose weight and become healthier.

   I have a ways to go to reach my goal weight, but I am confident that I will.  That person who ate whatever they wanted and never exercised isn’t me anymore.  With God’s help and my swim team I know I can achieve my goal.

 

Meet the Athlete: Emily

By | Coaching, Fitness, Meet the Athlete | No Comments

Welcome to the second edition of “Meet the Athlete”, where you can learn a bit about BrittFit athletes– newbies, recreational athletes, and future Olympians.

Let’s meet Emily, BrittFit Youth athlete since Fall 2014.

age: 12
sport: swimming, general fitness
athletic goal: improve running and learn to enjoy it, and complete sprint-distance triathlon this summer
favorite musical group: R5
favorite treat: cupcakes (but she likes baking them even more than she likes eating them), and hot chocolate
least favorite food: watermelon (due to a traumatic experience with the fruit)
favorite life accomplishment: being good at (and enjoying!) reading and writing
hobbies: crafting, reading, and analyzing things (e.g. books, poems, etc.)
dream job: teacher, author, or epidemiologist, and a tea shop owner on the side
dream pet: alpacas!!

Want to see yourself featured in a future edition of M.T.A.? All BrittFit Athletes are eligible. You could be next!

Meet the Athlete: Teagan

By | Coaching, Fitness, Meet the Athlete, Swimming | No Comments

Welcome to the first edition of “Meet the Athlete”, where you can learn a bit about BrittFit athletes– newbies, recreational athletes, and future Olympians.

Let’s meet Teagan, BrittFit High-Performance Youth athlete since Fall 2013.

age: 12
sport: swimming
favorite post-swim meet treat: In-N-Out strawberry-vanilla milkshake, double-double, & fries
post workout snack: chocolate milk, or bow-tie pasta w/ butter
favorite swim set: relays
favorite drill: floatin’ (aka. buoyancy drill)
fave event: 200-yard individual medley, & 100-yard butterfly
best times: 2:16(ish), & 1:02, respectively
best accomplishment: qualifying for Senior Zones
hobbies: watching movies, playing with Mowgli (miniature schnauzer)
last thing you ate: an apple
dream job: Olympic swimmer & marine biologist

Want to see yourself featured in a future edition of M.T.A.? All BrittFit Athletes are eligible. You could be next!