The Octogenarians ....


In the last issue we covered the octo-decathlon. (Greek for 6-49).
Let's stick to Octo. As in James Bond.

2000 is a milestone year. Two million and 59 thousand Canadians are
coming of age. They're turning 20 and are all becoming masters ! Attention
all clubs. Brace yourself for crowded lanes !

At first I was going to write a profile for all these happy folks, but out
of respect to Canadian forestry, and also a touch of laziness, decided to
narrow the focus down to the 476 000 Canadians that are 80 and over.

Further thought made me resize my target. I was only going to profile the
80-84 active masters. Laziness has its reward.

But before I go on, I must warm up my audience. Following is a comparison
of an age break-down, general population and masters. Conveniently, Statistics
Canada breaks down age groups the same way we do (or is it the other way
around ?).

(Problem. How do you account for people that are Masters, yet work for
Stats Can ? DF, you're out of the sample !)

                        General        Masters
                      Population      Population    Ratio
                      A        B       C      D       E

         20-24   2 059 000    9.15    251    2.74    .30
         25-29   2 113 000    9.39    815    8.90    .95
         30-34   2 338 000   10.39   1241   13.56   1.31
         35-39   2 703 000   12.01   1926   21.04   1.75
         40-44   2 566 000   11.40   1701   18.58   1.63
         45-49   2 251 000   10.00   1199   13.10   1.31
         50-54   1 959 000    8.70    815    8.90   1.02
         55-59   1 495 000    6.64    497    5.43    .82
         60-64   1 233 000    5.48    252    2.75    .50
         65-69   1 141 000    5.07    201    2.20    .43
         70-74     989 000    4.39    124    1.35    .31
         75-79     788 000    3.50     72    0.79    .22
         80-84     476 000    2.12     39    0.43    .20
         85-89     268 000    1.19     16    0.17    .15
         90+       126 000    0.56      4    0.04    .08
                22 505 000  100.00   9153  100.00


   A= General Canadian Population
   B= % of Total Pop over 20 (22.5 million)
   C= Total Master Population (incl recent non-renewals)
   D= % of Total Masters (9000) (6000 active, 3000 non-renewals)
   E= Ratio of D over B

  There are many conclusions that can be drawn from the above, and you are
  urgently requested to ... draw your own !

  Ok, here goes.The numbers mean that we are over-represented in 4 age groups
  (30 to 49), even with the general population in 3 (25, 50, 55) and well
  under-represented in all others.

  The 9153 masters represent .0004 of the population, while the 35-39 masters
  are .0007 of the corresponding population. So that we have work to do.
  In other words we could have more 20-24 and more over 60 !

  So now, I would like to introduce some of the 80+ masters. (In a meet that
  took place in 1981, 50 and above were lumped as one age group. Progress !)

Rose-Ann Leclerc from St-Jean, Quebec has been in masters since 1985. Holds
too many provincial records to mention. Has made a great recovery from a
major stomach illness. Not the fastest, but most determined (200 fly 13').

Marge Anderson of BC. Simply the first 95 year old to have swum in masters,
in Canada or the World. Only one older woman has ever competed, a 100 yr old
from Australia. Her first master swim happened when she was 86. At the 98 LC
meet in Edmonton she put on quite a show by sprinting the last 20 meters
of her 100 back, and set 4 World Records. Born 1903. Also 10 NR's.

Jaring Timmerman of Winnipeg.  Is that a Dutch name or what ? In his first
events as a 90 year old last year he was very close to the world record.
Believe it or not, he has a number of Manitoba records to his name.
Swims for Assiniboine. Born 1909. Holds 12 NR's.

Eugene Lehman. Born 1913. A meet in Quebec without Eugene is not a meet.
First masters meet in 1986. Teaches mathematics to avanced students. Will
gladly teach you Japanese. Is rumored to have climbed Mt Kilimanjaro. Has
written novels from wartime souvenirs. Was honoured at Quebec 98 chsps.
Among his many records, we see a 7'01 200 fly at 80, and 1'30 50 fly at 85.

Roman Jezek. Born 1914. A full year younger than Eugene, but showing no respect
as he is breaking all his records. Born in Poland and a great triathlete.
Both Roman and Eugene swim out of Pointe Claire. Roman has done 4'59 for
200 breast at 80, 5'54 at 85. Here is a 2-man 160+ relay !

Gerda Voss of Ontario. Has been around in masters for more than 10 years, and
recently broke some of Rose Ann Leclerc's records. Will go for the tough
swims (200 fly and 400 im). Swims for ATB (Alderwood). Born 1919.

Jeanne Turgeon of CMNQ, Quebec. Has also been around for 10 years. Way faster
than Rose Ann. Swam 1500m in about 1 hour last year. Currently mopping up
remaining Quebec records (and some nationals). This year swam a relay with
3 more Turgeons, all related of course. Born 1919. (1500m SC 55', LC 57').
No less than 41 provincial records.

Lillian Warren. DDO, Quebec. 1919. No breastroke, fly or IM due to a bad back,
but very fast backstroke and free. Has been wanting to quit for 3 years, but
the pay is too good. Well actually breaking records, not selling records, but
it keeps you out of trouble. Her list of broken records sounds like a broken
record: free, back, back, free, free, back, free ... (50 free 55, back 1'10).

Fred Warren. DDO, Quebec. 1920. Lillian's husband. Has been club president
and organiser of the 89 provincials at DDO. His lone Quebec record was broken
this year. R-E-S-P-E-C-T you don't always get. Lillian and Fred are the
nicest people you could meet.

Dorothy Bullen of BC. Owner of several back records. She swims for North
Vancouver. Born 1913. 12 National Records. All in the 85-89 category.

Dorothy Irene Adams. Swam one year in Quebec (at DDO of course). Is now
back in the Maritimes where she set more records last year. Born in 1915,
swims in Halifax, and is pretty fast, well under one minute for 50 free.
Also 50 breast in 1'18". 3 NR's. 50 free 56", 100 free 2'22".

Benoit Drouin, CMNQ, Quebec, 1915. He was the coach of Jacques Amyot and
Robert Cossette, people who would cross Lake St-John (all 20 miles of it) on
a slow Sunday in the 50's and 60's. The pause that refreshes (9 hours at 65
degrees F). Has regressed to 50 second pauses at 80 degrees F in 25 m pools.

Edouard Dubord, Victoriaville, Quebec, 1919. In masters since 1981. For a
while was contemplating a Channel swim. His son Ed Jr is a master at DDO.

Cam Weir of BC. Born 1912. Was featured on a recent MSC magazine. Is the
father of Bob Weir, former MSO president and a pretty good 400 free
swimmer. Cam has been in the game for 10 years. Has innumerable BC records
and 6 nationals. Was induced in the game by his son, who dared him to.

Harry Class. ROW, Ontario, Born 1916. A class act (=fast). Dominant swimmer
who has many Ontario records to his name. 9 NR's. 37.5 for free, 49 for back.

Ed Reynolds. MAAA, Quebec. "Found out" by Geoff Camp in his coaching days.
Has swum in 4 age groups, 65+ to 80+. Had one time had the most national
records. One feels some of his records will last forever. Rather impressive
times like 100 free in 1:29.70 at 80. His 50 free was 34.5 at age 70,
37.5 at 80. Holds 10 NR's.

Norbert Artus. PPO, Quebec. Originally from France. Definitely not a sprinter
but he will outlast quite a few people. Was doing 25 minutes for 1500 while
65+, swam 28'20 at 80+. Averages 2 world record every 5 years. Some of his
times will last longer than forever. Like 800 free LC in 13'50. Holds 20 NR's.

Marion Devitt. VCSS. Born 1919. 5'53 for 200 back LC. The Victoria Silver
Streaks must force-feed all their members with some secret ingredients as
they are certainly the oldest club in Canada, reflected by their median age.
Is anybody under 50 at VCSS ?

Rose Allen of CMNQ, Que. Was at Sheffield 96, where she set Quebec records
at 100 breast (3'13) and 200 breast (6'56).

Lloyd Kolb. Manitoba. Born 1915. Has had a very long master career.

John (Jack) McBride. Alberta. Born 1906. First Canadian over 90. Was a star
at the 98 Edmonton LC meet. Sports very fashionable tattoos. 5 NR's.

Charles Wools. BC. Born 1915. Favours long distance swims like 1500.
Comes from deep inside BC at West Koutenay.

Jean Ross. RGM, Alberta. Born 1916. Participated at the 98 LC meet. Was that
her first meet ? Anyway she simply set a national record at 1'17 for 50 bk.

Frances McWhirter. VCSS. Born 1916. Owns 4 national records in free.
Time of 42 minutes for 1500 LC is likely faster than the average beach-goer.

Jim Panton, VCSS BC. Born 1914. Holds 8 NR's, 6 of them at 85+. Mostly br. 

Hugh McGregor, BC. Born 1919. Holds 6 NR's. Swam 35'44 for 1500 LC in late
99. Pretty good backstroke too, 4'10 for 200 LC.

Ruth Davies VCSS,BC. Born 1919. 9 NR's. 1'08" for 50 bk, 1'09 br, both SC.

Lilo Bryce VCSS BC. Born 1914. 1'17 br LC. By the way, have you counted how
many VCSS's so far ?

Walter McPherson, New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, born 1916. 43" for 50 free LC. 
Who says VCSS has it all ?

Jim McDiarmid, Winnipeg, Manitoba. Born 1910. His breastroke time of 2:05.6
set in 1991 was a WR at the time. Still has 3 NR's despite all the young guys.

We have plenty more too. Let us mention their names. We sincerely hope they
will be with us for many more years:

Mary Pacey, NS 1915, had set a 200 back NR in 1992 at St-John, NB.

From Ontario, Bob Firlotte Scarborough 1917, Norm Paton Welland 1913,
Miroslav Boucek, Unat 1917, Edgar Smith Unat 1914 (father of Roy Smith).
Also Fred Cook. Markham, Ontario. Born 1912.

From Alberta, Beth Cameron, Edmonton 1919, Corrina Stillman Calgary 1911, and
long-time master Don Stewart Edm. 1918.

From BC, Molly Shepherd VCSS 1919, Helen Drake SSL 1920, Edna Rajchert
Hyack 1919, Marian Woodman North V. 1914 and Beth King, 1914.

Long-time masters Gerry Pinard VCSS 1917, Jack Gallagher NV 1918, Roy Borthwick
NV 1920, Eric Brinton 1911, Andre Blum 1912, Bert Davies 1914, George Sturgess
SSL 1915, Hal Thomas 1914.

Finally Frank White from POM 1920 is so active he swam away from home in the
2000 Sask provs. You can't keep a good man down.