Rebecca Manzi At 80 years old he celebrated his birthday with a crossing and is the oldest to frequent the swimming pool in the area: John Starbrook revealed all his secrets and spoke about his greatest passion, swimming
@youtube
At the age of 93, John Starbrook is still an active participant in the water polo games organized by the Hampton pool. Here, he also competes in swimming and trains for feats such as crossings.
He has completed 52 marathons in his lifetime, but swimming has been his greatest passion since he was 13 years old. This passion persists to this day; for his 80th birthday, he swam across the Corryvreckan Gulf between the Scottish islands of Jura and Scarba, a challenging feat even for much younger athletes.
Swimming for him is “my idea of paradise“. During an interview with the Guardian, he shared his secrets:
“I don’t do anything special, though I’ve never smoked and I don’t drink much. My diet is pretty normal. In the morning, I eat oatmeal, and I consume a lot of vegetables and very little fried food“.
Swimming frees him from the fear of aging
Despite some age-related ailments, like a bit of arthritis in one knee and an irregular heartbeat for which he takes a blood thinner, his willpower is undiminished. Nicknamed “legend” for his accomplishments, he is the oldest person at his local pool.
He didn’t start swimming until he was 53, but that doesn’t bother him because what matters is not winning, but just having fun. Moreover, swimming is truly a lifesaving activity for him:
“I like to think of myself as a skilled swimmer. I’m not fast and I can’t even dive or do flips underwater, but I can swim laps with ease. Put me in a lake and leave me there, in the middle of the water, watching the swallows above me. Thanks to swimming, I’m not afraid of aging or even dying“.
