ORLANDO, FL --  The 2018 Union Americana de Natacion (UANA) Pan American Masters Championships were held from July 25 to August 8 at the YMCA Aquatic Center in Orlando, Florida. More than 2,200 athletes participated across five disciplines -- swimming, diving, synchronized swimming, water polo, and open water swimming -- making it the largest UANA Pan American Masters Championships ever held. Over 1,700 pool swimmers hailed from 30 swimming federations (most from North and South America) and broke 65 FINA world records, 136 UANA records, and 38 USMS national records in long-course meters events.

 

I look ed up and yes, that was Bill Davis  of Charles River Masters in the middle of a group of adult athletes joyfully screaming at the top of their lungs. With a smile, I realized that their spontaneous cheer meant our coaching staff had met an important goal -- to make each one of these swimmers from around the globe realize they were an essential part of something special: The High Performance Camp.

 

After serving as one of the three assistant coaches at last year's High Performance Camp, it was an unexpected honor to be invited to serve as the head coach this year. As soon as HPC Director  Hill Carrow offered me the position, I started making mental notes of elements I wanted to keep from 2017 and those I thought we could improve.

 

The cost of the camp for participating swimmers $2,200 plus transportation costs. Over the course of the five-day camp, most of the swimmers commented that the diagnostic activities alone were worth that price. 

- Bill Meier, NE-LMSC Fitness Chair

NEWPORT, VT --    The 10th Annual Kingdom Swim was held on July 28th in Lake Memphremagog in Newport, Vermont. The  125 swimmers competed under sunny skies in 72-74F water temperatures.  Swimmers raced in the 1 mile, 5 km, 10 km, 10 mile, or 25 km Border Buster event into Canada and back. Masters swimmers from  New England represented well in all courses and posted many top finishes.

 

 

 

Registration for the 2019 Kingdom Swim opened September 1. With only 30 spots in each event, register early to secure your spot and chance to enjoy a weekend of friendly open-water competition in the scenic Northeast Kingdom!

- Charlotte Brynn, NE-LMSC Open Water Chair

Results     Full Recap

	Elena with her son prior to Ironman Lake Placid

In 2016 Elena was honored as a USAT All-American in her age group while expecting her first child most of the year. She regularly attended masters practice during her pregnancy. It was only in the final week that she decided to sleep in and skip practice, but only to delay her swim to mid-morning. She was back in the pool as soon as her doctors allowed it, and spent the remainder of 2017 training quietly and consistently.

In January of 2018, as everyone was chatting in the locker room about their New Year's goals for swimming, Elena casually mentioned that she planned to do an Ironman. Somewhere between working a full time job and caring for her one-year-old son, she prepared to compete in a race requiring hours of weekly training and dedication. Not only did she expect to finish but, judging by her swimming in the pool, she clearly planned to be competitive. Elena ended up taking fourth place in her age group at Ironman Lake Placid 140.6, a fantastic finish for her first race as an IronMom.

Compared to her training pre-baby, Elena says she is now much more focused with what she needs to accomplish in a particular training session. She is training less overall but the quality and consistency are paying off. Well done, Elena!

- Michelle Toner, HOLY