Amanda Heath, two world swimming masters records: “It is possible to get faster even as you get older”

The European Masters Championships in Rome will be remembered by Great Britain’s Amanda Heath for improving the world records in the women’s 100m and 200m breaststroke and for her success in the 200m individual medley. "I discovered that as you get older, you can go faster. And that is the message I want to convey. I am swimming faster in this age group (65-69) than I did before. It takes a lot of training to achieve these results," she said.

When in the water Heath, a 65-year-old British athlete from the Spencer Swim Team focuses on her own performance. "During the race my focus is on the gliding technique in the water. I don't let myself be distracted by the time or others," she said.

The lockdown has not stopped her preparation. "I think the lockdown has helped me. I started dry training, did strength and cardio exercises, and added yoga and Tai Chi Chuan. When I returned to training in the pool, I benefited from it," she added.

Heath approached the masters world after a short competitive career. "My parents introduced me into swimming. In the pool where I was training, I would see others diving from the diving board, from the platform. I tried it too, but I decided swimming would be better. At the age of 13 I started competitive swimming and I joined the national team. A few years later I stopped and at 26 I competed in my first masters competition,” she said.

The European masters in Rome are now over for the breaststroke star but is looking forward to competing again. "I like meeting new people, who then become friends, travelling to different places. This pushes me to continue my adventure in the masters," she said.

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