Making Waves at 93: The Inspiring Journey of Joan Campbell, Competitive Swimmer, EP 238
Dec 05, 2023
Kelly Palace and Maria Parker
Get ready for an uplift as we share an inspiring chat with the marvelous Joan Campbell, founder of the Florida Aquatic Combined Team (FACT). A competitive swimmer who started making waves at the age of 59, Joan is now 93 and a true testament to the power of vitality and determination. You'll hear about her incredible journey of not just taking up competitive swimming late in life, but also achieving top ranks worldwide. Learn about her rigorous training routine which includes swimming multiple times a week, walking and weight training. You will be riveted as she recounts her thrilling experience of swimming the 200 butterfly at 82! Joan drives herself to swim meets.
Hangout with us on the pool deck as Joan shares her life beyond swimming. She talks about her friendship with fellow swimmer Martha Henderson and their shared passion for the sport. Listen as she delves into her professional journey serving as the vice president of a large insurance company - her competitive spirit is evident both in and out of the pool! Joan gives us a peek into her future goals, discusses the camaraderie she shares with fellow swimmers, and opens up about her enduring love for the water. Joan's motivating story is one that truly exemplifies that age is just a number and it's never too late to chase your passion!
Get ready for an uplift as we share an inspiring chat with the marvelous Joan Campbell, founder of the Florida Aquatic Combined Team (FACT). A competitive swimmer who started making waves at the age of 59, Joan is now 93 and a true testament to the power of vitality and determination. You'll hear about her incredible journey of not just taking up competitive swimming late in life, but also achieving top ranks worldwide. Learn about her rigorous training routine which includes swimming multiple times a week, walking and weight training. You will be riveted as she recounts her thrilling experience of swimming the 200 butterfly at 82! Joan drives herself to swim meets.
Hangout with us on the pool deck as Joan shares her life beyond swimming. She talks about her friendship with fellow swimmer Martha Henderson and their shared passion for the sport. Listen as she delves into her professional journey serving as the vice president of a large insurance company - her competitive spirit is evident both in and out of the pool! Joan gives us a peek into her future goals, discusses the camaraderie she shares with fellow swimmers, and opens up about her enduring love for the water. Joan's motivating story is one that truly exemplifies that age is just a number and it's never too late to chase your passion!
Speaker 1:
Welcome to the award-winning Champions Mojo hosted by two world record-holding athletes. Be inspired as you listen to conversations with champions and now your hosts, kelly Palace and Maria Parker.
Speaker 2:
Hello friends, welcome to the Champions Mojo podcast. I am your host, kelly Palace, and, as usual, I am with my co-host, maria Parker. Hey Maria, hey Kelly, it's great to be with you here today. Yes, and Maria, this is a special edition of Champions Mojo from the pool deck and we have a great interview for you today. It's brief, it's short, but it's powerful.
Speaker 3:
Yeah, and we. I wasn't there, but I was able to listen to the interview and some great takeaways.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, we hope you'll stick around and catch the takeaways. And here we go. I'm on deck with Joan Campbell. She's the founder of the Florida Aquatic Combined Team FACT. Joan, how old are you?
Speaker 4:
93, I'll be 94 in April.
Speaker 2:
And Joan is one of our heroes here in the Florida LMSC. When did you start swimming? When I was 59. You started at 59. What got you started?
Speaker 4:
My children all swam and they got me in the pool and I just returned from a trip to the Caribbean and they signed me up, got me to swim the 200 breaststroke and I won and I'm a little competitive.
Speaker 2:
I love it. Have you always been competitive? Yes, and all these years of swimming. What makes you most happy with what you've done in your competitions?
Speaker 4:
Actually I've done quite a few 15 umbrits and I've placed worldwide in the first, second, third and then and one of my best ones was when I was 82, I swam the 2-in-1-Fly in Omaha and I think I was the only one in the world that swam the 200 by that year.
Speaker 2:
Wow, 200 butterfly at 82. Now did you use butterfrog? Yes, Okay, so butterfrog. I rely on butterfrog.
Speaker 4:
Well, I was originally a breaststroker, so obviously that went much better than Dolf yeah.
Speaker 2:
So do you still swim the 400?
Speaker 4:
I am, no, I swam that last in Albuquerque, when I was 89.
Speaker 2:
It's done. You're in your 90s, no more 400 I am. So maybe that you can answer my question, which I ask a lot of champions what is the hardest event, the hardest?
Speaker 4:
event I believe is the 400 I am and I have tendonitis in one arm and I can't do fly well now. So yeah.
Speaker 2:
So right now, at 93, what does your training week look like, because I see you with a lot of needs. What are you training wise like, how many days a week and how much yardage?
Speaker 4:
I do about 1200 meters long course Monday, tuesday, thursday and sometimes Saturday, and I also train at the YMCA for an hour class Monday, wednesday and Friday where I use weights and all that sort of thing that I wouldn't be using swimming, and I also walk four days a week two to three miles.
Speaker 2:
Okay, now I've heard a rumor that you drive yourself to all of these swim needs, sometimes hours. Yes, yes.
Speaker 4:
Actually it was three and a half hours this to this one, three and a half hours Roughly.
Speaker 2:
All right, now your partner in crime is Miss Martha Henderson. Yeah, okay, is on fact with you, and you guys have this incredible friendship and Martha comes along with you everywhere. Right, martha comes along with me?
Speaker 4:
yes, and Hat-Tomblain also usually does, but she's off sailing or cruising right now, but she would be the third one in our late 80s and 90s.
Speaker 2:
Wow, that's so great. So we're at the 15th annual Rowdy Gaines Masters Classic. Have you been in all 15 of these?
Speaker 4:
I would say I've probably been close to them. My husband died in 2014, so I probably wouldn't have gone to that corner. But everything else yes.
Speaker 2:
Okay, so now, what are some of your goals going forward? So you're in the 90 to 94 age group. Have you set goals for the 95? Looked at some records.
Speaker 4:
As far as records, I don't know when we're going up there. What we just mentioned in California has a lot of the older records and I doubt whether I can meet her, but I always work per goal and I'm interested in going to Dan Amagann Gaines and Printedad in Tribano next year, and then I would like to go to Singapore for the worlds in many fights. I love it.
Speaker 2:
I'm fine, all right. Last question, joan what does the water mean to you? Being in the water, what does that mean to you?
Speaker 4:
It's a calming thing I just love the water. I love the water. Yes, I have to be competing to do it.
Speaker 2:
Yes, yeah, but you are competitive. I am a bit competitive.
Speaker 4:
I was competitive and busy. I was a bit competitive.
Speaker 2:
Okay, what business were you in, after all?
Speaker 4:
my four children grew up and left home. I went back to business in New York and I was vice president of a large insurance company and invested their premiums.
Speaker 2:
Wow, you are competitive. Oh my gosh, that is so wonderful. All right, thank you for spending this time with us today and good luck in the rest of your meet. Thank you.
Speaker 1:
Stay tuned for the takeaways.
Speaker 2:
Hey there, fellow swimmers and water enthusiasts Dive into the pool knowing you can confidently remove the chlorine after you swim with triswim. This gentle chlorine out hair and body care line is the perfect addition to your post-swim routine. Say goodbye to the dry, itchy scalp and say hello to tropical scents and moisturized hair and body. Made with botanicals, proteins and aloe, this product will leave your hair and skin strong and healthy. Triswim is the official chlorine out personal care sponsor for master swimming. Head over to SBR Sports Inccom and use code MOJO23 for 23% off triswim today.
Speaker 1:
And now the takeaways.
Speaker 2:
Joan Campbell. I have wanted to talk with Joan Campbell at these meetings for so long and I got the cutest picture of her. She is just truly amazing. She's so inspired me.
Speaker 3:
I love that interview. She's just great.
Speaker 2:
Yes, what was your first takeaway on Joan?
Speaker 3:
Of course, since I'm 60 and she started swimming when she was 59. It just inspired me that who cares how old you are? Get started, just do it, just do it. So I love that, and also that she's. She just went swimming hard events till she was really old and she's still swimming at 93. Just Love it, love it, love it.
Speaker 2:
Never too late to start. Yeah, it's funny Like I remember your father loved my dad that I used to always tell him about these people in their 80s that would gain muscle or yeah. Yeah, 60s, that would start running marathons. And I would tell him this when he was in his 40s and 50s, trying to recruit him to get into it. Says then I'll just wait and start when I'm in my senses. They're all. Start when.
Speaker 2:
I'm in my 80s, but anyway, yeah, so he's 93 as well. Or your father-in-law, my dad, yeah, yeah, he is lifting weights, probably not as heavy as he should, but anyway, there were many takeaways, but I do love that Joan brings her friends to the meet. She and Martha Henderson are kind of partners in crime, and then the third person that she mentioned that wasn't with them is also part of her team. And then I always see Joan surrounded by other People that are in the older set. There's the young ins, as I call them, hang out and they're their little groups, and then that's middle of the pack. Age people are together, and then Joan has that group of people that are 80 plus or 75 plus, and she, the grown doll, the older Woman of all of us there and, like I said at the beginning, she drives, she does, yeah, kind of.
Speaker 2:
So the takeaway that I had is that her friends are there. But then I also wanted to point out I didn't go deep on this because she was getting ready to swim and I didn't want to take too much of her time. But when I asked her she said she was competitive and she said she kind of learned that and business and she was a vice president.
Speaker 3:
That's right and so after she raised her kids, she went out to be Vice president.
Speaker 2:
She's a very unique Unusual champion and she really inspires me.
Speaker 3:
So I'm glad we got here in person to have her.
Speaker 2:
Yes, yes, you will be her one day. All right, thanks, maria great one in the books. Thanks, bye, bye, bye, bye, bye.
Speaker 3:
Bye.
Speaker 1:
Thank you for listening to the champions mojo podcast. Did you enjoy the show? We'd be grateful if you would leave us a five-star review on iTunes to help others find us, and we'd also love to hear from you. We're on all social media platforms or you can reach us at champions mojocom.