No expiry date
Sarah Fournier is the new Creative Director of magazines for The Lindsay Advocate, Kawartha Social, and Play Stay Live. She’s also a Creative Director/Partner at Colour and Code, a marketing, website, and design agency in Lindsay.
I remember standing behind the blocks at my first Masters swim meet last fall, trying to steady my nerves before my race. I was second-guessing whether I was insane to be doing this when an announcement was made that the woman in front of me was attempting to break a world record. This 101-year-old dove in, swam her race, and finished with a smile. As she approached the wall, the entire aquatorium filled with cheers. It made me realize that just being there was a win.
As a woman in my mid-30s, conversations about aging and perimenopause are starting to dominate. I don’t know what’s ahead but standing on deck at a Masters meet makes me excited for the future, not afraid of it. You see swimmers in their 70s, 80s, 90s still competing, still improving, still enjoying sport with their teammates. I’ve begun to understand that this isn’t something you age out of, it’s something you grow into.
Three years ago, I showed up at the Lindsay Rec Centre for my first morning swim without goggles, a cap, or any real idea of what I was doing. I wasn’t swimming ‘properly,’ didn’t understand lane etiquette, and was very aware that everyone else seemed to know exactly what they were doing.
But I kept going back and quickly fell in love with it. The rhythm, the quiet, the small but steady progress, and the people who were always willing to offer advice and support. It was these new friends who gave me the confidence to take the next step and join a Masters swim team in Uxbridge (since we don’t currently have a program in Kawartha Lakes).
I’ve since learned that Masters swimming isn’t just about speed or performance. It’s about camaraderie, consistency, and committing to something you can do for life.
I’m now swimming at meets I never would have imagined signing up for, making times I never thought this tired mom body could achieve.
But the real impact has been the shift in perspective. Swimming isn’t just about how good I can get, but about how long I can keep going. My dream is to be part of a relay team at 75 with my swim friends, cheering each other on.
The thought that you can start something later than expected and still find your place is so reassuring. That progress doesn’t have a deadline, the joy of being in the pool doesn’t have an age limit, and a woman’s life doesn’t end when the hormones change.
It turns out, the most impressive swimmers aren’t the fastest ones in the pool. They’re the ones who disregard the ‘expiry date’ and keep showing up.
