Courtesy of Swimming World Magazine.
Karl Hauter taught himself how to swim in a local river in his native Germany.
Nicknamed Water Rat, he never stopped swimming even when he was serving as a prisoner of war during World War II.
He started competing in 1973 and has set 23 FINA Masters Swimming world records while being ranked #1 in his events 64 times.
The 91-year-old no longer travels internationally to FINA World Championships, but he continues to prove his adage, “Swimming is the best sport to maintain health.”
Based on his FINA Masters records, Swimming World Magazine named him one of its Top 12 World Masters Swimmers of the Year for 2015.
International Swimming Hall of Fame induction video above is courtesy of the ISHOF.
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