Swimming for Life

Human Interest

Articles about Human Interest Stories

by Valerie Jenkins Day 1 at #USMSnationals and Wink has set the national and world record for the 1500 m freestyle! An amazing swim where he led off with a 1:07 first 50, averaged 1:25 to 1:30 throughout the race and brought it home in a 1:11 final 50! He […]

2022 USMS Summer Nationals

August 26, 2022 in Aqua Master Online / Events / Human Interest / Meet Summary by Aqua Master Editor

August 11, 1950 – June 4, 2022 Suzanne was a tireless USMS committee leader, swimmer, and coach who was dedicated to Masters Swimming. Skip Thompson fondly remembers how he met Suzanne Rague. Their 30-plus-year friendship started through a mutual friend who attended Stanford University. “I told him (my friend from […]

Suzanne Rague, We Miss You

July 23, 2022 in Aqua Master Online / Human Interest / Memories / Obituary by Aqua Master Editor

Once upon a time, in a land before COVID, a hundred or more misguided souls would embark on a grand adventure each year, swimming from the Sellwood Bridge to the St. Johns Bridge through the middle of downtown Portland. It wasn’t just solo swimmers, no! This was a time when […]

2022 Portland Bridge Swim

June 13, 2022 in Announcements / Aqua Master Online / Events / Human Interest / Open Water / Open Water / Open Water / Relays / Special / Training by Marisa Frieder

Ralph Mohr — Led by Earl Walter, as OMS Chairman, and Mike Popovich, as Meet Director, Oregon Masters swimming was put on the map as a power in USMS in the pool and in national committees. As someone who swam in the meet and who has watched Oregon’s influence in USMS boards and […]

Swim Bits – 1982 Nationals

June 13, 2022 in Aqua Master Online / Human Interest / Memories / Swim Bits by Ralph Mohr

Lizzie is front and center. Her husband Aaron is behind the keyboards. This is one of the bands she sang with named Wolfpack — Name: Lizzie Cheney Age: 65 Occupation: Artist, Writer, Musician, Multifaceted, Creative, and a “sea creature” Local Team: OCT Oregon City Tanker I’m Lizzie Cheney, a 65-year-old water lover. I grew up in Berkeley, California. Growing up there in the 60s and early 70s was an amazing experience. So many meaningful […]

Swimmer Spotlight – Lizzie Cheney

June 13, 2022 in Aqua Master Online / Biography / Featured / Human Interest / Spotlight by Arlene Delmage

Bob Bruce — The 2022 Oregon Open Water Preview The coming of spring reminds us that summer is not far away, and with it the 2022 Oregon open water season. You can find the schedule, event information, and entry links & forms for all Oregon events and information about the 2022 Oregon Open […]

Long Distance Swimming – May 2022

April 28, 2022 in Aqua Master Online / Events / Long Distance / Open Water / Open Water / Planning by Bob Bruce

Joe Oakes — In the beginning, there were runners, there were cyclists and there were swimmers. They revolved in separate spheres and rarely even saw each other, spending many hours a week honing their skills in their respective sports, seeking a shorter marathon time, a better cycling century or a faster 1500-meter swim. […]

Wetsuit Weenies

April 28, 2022 in Aqua Master Online / Human Interest / Open Water by Joe Oakes

Ralph Mohr — We thought it might be of interest for current OMS swimmers to see at least one meet result from the first ten years of Oregon Masters swimming. One pool that most in the Portland area probably have never swum in is Mt. Park in Lake Oswego, a private 50 meter […]

Swim Bits – May 2022

April 28, 2022 in Aqua Master Online / Human Interest / Memories / Swim Bits by Ralph Mohr

Kevin Cleary — For this month’s article, and given that Masters swim meets are finally returning to Oregon, I want to talk about the hardest opponent you will ever face. This particular person is much tougher and far more critical of you than any coach that you’ve ever had. They’ll drive you crazier […]

Your Toughest Opponent

March 28, 2022 in Aqua Master Online / Coach's Chair / Coaching / Human Interest / Motivation by Kevin Cleary