Swimming around Naples Island yesterday, soon-to-be 51-year-old Pam Lazzarotto was seen swimming around the yachts and docks of Long Beach, California.

It is always a pleasure to see balanced, streamlined, technically adept swimmers cruise through the open water, totally at peace with themselves and consistently smooth in the aquatic environment.

Many of these swimmers do not compete or attempt solo swims anymore, but just watching their skills in the oceans, bays, and lakes around the world is a privilege.

We recall watching Shane Gould, the 5-time Olympic medalist from Australia, at a swim safari in Fiji where she learned how to swim. She was so graceful in the choppy water, it was like a dolphin in human form going out and down and in and out of the waves.

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