Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California.

75-year-old Ellen Shockro admits to swimming slower than in other years, but she is still doing so smoothly and happily.

She will be one of the thousands of masters swimmers headed to Budapest, Hungary to participate in the FINA World Masters Championships that will include a 3 km open water race in Lake Balaton between August 10th-12th.

“It is a new age group [for me]; I am looking forward to it, but it is challenging to train when I live on an island off the coast of Maine – connected [to the mainland] by a bridge. Weather is a huge factor here – I have not been able to swim outdoors much of the time, but I go when I can. The ocean is still in low 50°F’s but it does depend upon tides (9-12 feet) and where one is in the tides cycle.

There’s a nice lake [nearby], but when thunder is threatening, I can’t take the chance.“

Yes she still manages to swim at least 5 or 6 days a week although your presence is weather-dependent. “I am having such a good time. I just hope I can keep going for a while longer.”

Shockro was interviewed at the 2010 Waikiki Roughwater Swim on Oahu.

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