By Michael J. Stott

Forever Young

The following 14 swimmers comprise the largest group of U.S. swimmers over 30 ever to set their sights on making Olympic Trials. Their prospects range from a virtual lock to a six-time Trials veteran to a 44-year-old grandmother.

As we learn more about the human body, physical limits seem to melt away. "I bought into the notion that you had to stop what you were doing to get on with your life," says Byron Davis. "In the last two-and-a-half years, I've realized that swimming will always be a part of my life."

Time was when teenagers dominated the world rankings. No offense to then 16-year-old Ian Thorpe, but in 1999, five of the world's top six women 50 meter freestylers were more than 25, including three over age 30. Likewise, seven of the top 12 men's 200 IMers were 25 or older.

Whether the following swimmers climb atop the medal stand in Sydney or miss making Trials is not important. Their message is clear: "That's OK, because this is fun. I've given it my best shot, and now it's time to move on."

But rest assured: nobody is leaving the water any time soon.

Dara Torres (33)
Dara Torres' return to the pool has been well documented. The winner of two gold medals, one silver and one bronze in relays at the Olympic Games in 1984, 1988 and 1992, she put her modeling and broadcasting careers on hold and resumed training last July under Olympic coach Richard Quick.

In December, she recorded PRs and the second best times of any female U.S. swimmer in 1999 in the 50 and 100 meter freestyles (behind Amy Van Dyken and Jenny Thompson, respectively). Globally, those clockings ranked third and seventh.

In March, she became the oldest female swimmer to win a national title at the U.S. senior nationals, winning the 100 meter free in 54.98, another PR.

"Torres is for real. She's going to make the team," says one of her coaches, Dick Jochums of Santa Clara Swim Club. "She's truly gifted--one of the real talents of the world. My guess is she's going to win." How's that for added pressure?

Not a problem. "I thought age would be a detriment, but it has been a benefit," says Dara. "I think you are at your peak in your 30s. Also, I don't have any negativity in my body. I believe 100 percent in the plans my coaches have for me."

Currently, she is swimming six workouts with Quick and four a week with Jochums and John Bitters.

"I do a lot of stroke and recovery work with Richard, keeping my heart rate below 150." In training with Jochums and his Olympic sprint group, she "goes after the guys. They like her, and she likes racing with them," says Jochums.

"I'm also lifting weights. In three months, I've gone from bench-pressing 105 pounds to 175." Clearly, she still has the muscle memory and the drive. "I used to fear swimming against the best," she says. "Now I have that calming feeling on the blocks...plus I hate to lose."

Jochums thinks Torres is finally swimming for herself and detects a bit of unfinished business. Certainly her mindset is different: "Whatever happens, happens," she says. "I never felt that way before, but the journey along the way has been so much fun.

"If I don't make the team, I'll be bummed, but it won't be the be-all and end-all. I feel good about where I am. I didn't expect to be this far along at this time."

If she makes the squad, she will join Jill Sterkel to become the second Olympic swimmer in history to make four teams and the first to compete in four Olympiads. "That would be icing on the cake," she says.

Angel Martino (33)
Dara Torres cites Angel Martino as one of the women to beat at Trials. And why not? In 1999, she was ranked as the eighth fastest U.S. swimmer in the 50 and 100 meter freestyle and sixth in the 100 meter butterfly. She also has three gold medals in individual events and three bronze from relays in Barcelona and Atlanta. And she has a 2-1/2-year-old baby!

Martino has made Trials cuts in all three events and is swimming very well. "My goal is to make top six in the 100 free and to earn a spot on relay teams," she says. For her, Masters swimming has been "a necessity--the meets are shorter, a lot of them are close, and having my son Michael at them is not a big deal."

These days, however, recovery is harder. "I don't know whether it's having a baby or getting older, but being a parent and trying to train is clearly an issue. I have to be careful about the extra aerobic yardage. I still do the quality sets I need to do, but I don't get as much sleep as I used to. Motherhood's been a hard adjustment."

Martino is clear on the requirements for success: "I know what it takes." This time, she'll take with her experience and lower expectations. "It's like, 'Let's go and see what we can do.' I'd love to make the team because I'd really like to enjoy the Olympic experience. I've never been to an opening ceremony because I always swam the first day.

"If I go to Trials and don't make the team, it's pretty amazing that I've made it this far," she says. "But I want to be faster than I was at the U.S. Open, make finals and just have a shot. After 2000, I'll continue to go to some Masters meets. I'll have some more kids, but I'll never train at this level again."

Jon Olsen (31)
This former University of Alabama swimmer has made his Trials cuts in the 50 and 100 meter free with 1999 times that place him 22nd and eighth in the U.S. Like Martino, he has one child (and another on the way) and has made some training concessions to schedule and age.

However, his urge to win still burns as competitors will learn in meets leading up to Olympic Trials in Indianapolis, Aug. 9-16. At present, he is working out at the Mecklenburg Aquatic Club in Charlotte, N.C. before leaving in late April for two months at Cal Berkeley.

A normal practice schedule for the former Olympian (four golds and one bronze in five relays in 1992 and 1996) consists of eight practices a week. Sunday is a day of rest; Wednesday he treats as a complete recovery day.

"I'm doing more quality instead of quantity," he says. Weights, plyometrics and stretching are also critical ingredients in his regimen. "I'm very inflexible," he says. "I have scoliosis--two curves in my back--so I stretch twice daily for 30 minutes--in mid-morning and after my afternoon workout.

As a corporate speaker and swim clinician, Olsen travels to support his family, so finding a pool is often a problem. Lack of support from USA Swimming for older swimmers doesn't help either. "The powers that be don't go out of their way to accommodate the older swimmer for whatever reason," says Olsen. "We feel like we deserve the same chance as do the younger kids.

"I've been swimming for 24 years," says Olsen. "It's what I am and what I do. I'll stop when it ceases being fun." He credits USMS for keeping it that way, citing the two years following the Atlanta Games when he swam with the Phoenix Masters.

His 2000 Olympic opportunity is "a little more special this time around."

"I want to go back for the whole package, get to more events, especially opening ceremonies, enjoy the cultural aspects and meet more people. I'd like to share it with my wife and family."

Success for Olsen, whether at Trials or the Games, will be measured by a glance in the mirror. "If I can say that I gave it everything, I'll be happy. I'd rather try for one more team and not make it than not have tried at all."

Ron Karnaugh (34)
'Doctor Ron,' an orthopedic surgeon, has made his cuts in the 200 and 400 IM, 200 free and 200 breast. He'll decide which events to swim at Trials after senior nationals in early April. Karnaugh's best chance would appear to be the 200 IM, where he is ranked third in the U.S. and 21st in the world.

Early this year, he moved to Austin to train at Circle C Swimming with Coach Randy Reese. Technique, sport-specific and resistance training spotlight the regimen. "I'm enjoying swimming more than ever," says Karnaugh. "Randy's got me really thinking about stroke mechanics."

What he's not enjoying is the aftermath of a long simmering dispute with USA Swimming about a place on the Resident National Team in Colorado Springs. Karnaugh has been a member of the U.S. national team every year since 1986 with the exception of med school years '94 and '95. In 1996 and thereafter, he received repeated rebuffs over a two-year period because "the coaching staff believed his Olympic medal potential was low and would not make a positive contribution to the team atmosphere."

Yet, in 1998, Karnaugh became the oldest swimmer (31) ever to win a medal at the World Championships when he finished third in the 200 IM.

USA Swimming denies that the issue is age. Nevertheless, Karnaugh perseveres. "My approach is to ditch the doubters and move ahead. My coaches believe in me, and I try to maintain my focus. If I do, I think I'll achieve my long-term goal of winning a medal in Sydney--the only thing missing in my career."

Byron Davis (30)
After barely missing the Olympic team in 1996, Byron Davis, four-time All-American and national team member, is back from a two-year layoff in which he just had fun in the water. "I still have the fire and desire," says the UCLA grad and motivational speaker.

Davis has made cuts in the 100 free and his specialty, the 100 fly, where he was ranked 19th in the U.S. in 1999. Under the tutelage of Brad Burnhum at UCLA and now Dave Salo at Irvine Novaquatics, he is pointing for Indianapolis.

Mondays and Fridays are aerobic-based--10,000 to 12,000 yards in two workouts with a dryland component before the afternoon session. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, he swims one sprint-oriented workout. In the morning, he does Velocity Enhanced Resistance Training (VERT) for 90 minutes along with 45 more minutes of dynamic stretching. Thursday mornings, he completes a technique-driven workout. On Wednesday mornings, he does a water recovery, a long and easy 3,000, followed by an afternoon sprint workout. Saturday is given over to VO2 max race prep and pace training. On Sundays, he goes to church with his wife, Annett, who is pointing toward an Olympic berth in beach volleyball. Phew!

Davis acknowledges that age affects his recovery time, but views it as an opportunity to leverage his strengths. "Swimming is a microcosm of the rest of my life: the ups, downs and quiet achievements," he says.

Look for his book, "Advice from a Friend on Acting with Impact: Winning the Battle Within," due for publication this spring from Morris Publishing.

Wally Dicks (37)
Is life great or what? "Everything I've accomplished to this point I owe to Masters," says Fairfax, Va. breaststroker Wally Dicks. "If it weren't for Masters I wouldn't be swimming today. It's been a wonderful part of my life for the last three years.'

Here's how good. He met his wife through the program, swam the fastest SCM Masters times in the three breaststroke events in 1999 and now only needs to requalify to go to Indianapolis. "The 100 is where I have my best shot and what I train for. The 200 will just be icing on the cake."

Dicks credits his success to strength and a smarter approach to training and racing. Always an avid weightlifter, he won't get into the water without stretching. "I'll miss warm-up before I miss stretching," he says.

"I had no major goals coming in," he notes. "I have already accomplished more than I anticipated. Olympic Trials will be another great opportunity. There won't be any pressure on me. I'm not supposed to be there. My goal is to make consols. And if I don't, it will be a chance to watch a lot of great swimming."

Tracie Moll (36)
Tracie Moll, a Fort Lauderdale lifeguard is driven. "Training for Trials is my whole life," she says. "Plyometrics, medicine ball, swim bench, sprint work, weights----I want to do the training. I get up, stretch, go to the pool. I'm going to ride this as far as I can."

Moll is an outstanding 100 meter flyer, who has made OT cuts in the 50 free as well. As a result, she has entrusted her entire regimen to Nobu Tan, a battery of coaches and an extensive support system with an eye toward the short sprint.

"I am going to the show. I deserve to be there. I want to get on the block, swim a 50 and be stoked. The only person I absolutely want to beat is myself and the clock."

Moll wasn't always so motivated. Before her 18-year layoff, swimming fast came very easily. "I'm more intense now," she says. "I know my body better, and even though I get tired faster, I'm willing to push myself to the limit."

She has received extraordinary payoffs in terms of world records and rankings in USMS, a competitive environment she finds far more pleasurable than the "war zone" of the U.S. Open. "I prefer Masters. Everyone gives respect, appreciates good swimming and is there for a different reason."

But now the obsession is Indianapolis. "I will have no free time, except I am going to see Bruce Springsteen." Maybe he'll sing 'Glory Days' for her.

Karlyn Pipes-Neilsen (38)
"You learn so much from trying hard, following dreams and slipping out of the comfort zone," says Masters multi-world record holder Karlyn Pipes-Neilsen. "I like Tracie Moll for that very reason. She's intense, and I'm wacky," says the San Diego Master.

Equally intense, but mellowing just a tad, Pipes-Neilsen is just over a second from her goal of requalifying for a Trials spot in the 200 meter backstroke. "By it's nature, the Olympic Trials is not a very happy meet," she says. "I'm looking forward to watching the girls I've been swimming against at USA Swimming meets. I feel like I'm a peer with them. The only difference is I'm 20 years older."

And changing life's direction. After her lost-soul days, Pipes-Neilsen rediscovered Masters at age 31. "Swimming gave me confidence to go back to school, which taught me to achieve academically, get a degree and then move into a new job with the San Diego Imperial Council, where I develop sports programs for more than 30,000 Girl Scouts.

"For 38, I'm pretty darn fast," she says. "I would love to make Trials, but it is not a life-and-death matter. There are other factors, too. She and husband Eric have bought a new house and are trying to start a family. "It's time to move on and get a sense of permanence," she says, none of which will stop the quest for Trials.

Brian Alderman (31)
Brian Alderman swims for Ojai-Santa Barbara and coaches the Santa Barbara Swim Club Masters. A five-time national USS butterfly champion, these days his training is confined to 8,000 meters a week. He goes 2,000 at a crack, broken up into 1,000 long stroke work and quality 50s or 100s. He's also only 6-tenths off the Olympic Trials cut in the 100 meter fly.

"I've never had to go 10,000 a day to go fast," he says. "Swimming fast has made turning 30 easier, and I want to swim fast in my 40s and 50s."

Alderman believes attitude plays a huge role in swimming and professional success. His message to others is "just believe in yourself in training and competition, and above all, enjoy the moment."

"I'm having more fun swimming now in the workouts and coaching than I've ever had. The glory is secondary to the trip that gets you there. Going to Trials is an honor. All I can ask is to give 100 percent honest effort. If I can live each day to the fullest, my long term goals will be met," he says.

Bobby Patten (37)
Bobby Patten is no stranger to world-class swimming and the Olympic Trials. He participated in 1980, 1984 and 1988 in the 100 and 200 meter butterflys. He also went to Worlds in the 200 fly in 1982 and swam at SMU with Steve Lundquist when the team set an American record in a medley relay.

Since then, he has beaten malignant cancer, set countless Masters world records and just started a 400-member program called Dallas Aquatic Masters with partner and former Olympian, Jim Montgomery. Last fall, after a terrific summer, training with SMU swimmers, he broke his own world SCM 1500 meter freestyle record for men 35-39 by 24 seconds with a 15:58.20.

Since then, it's been a busy few months. "A lot of things have gotten in the way--life and play. Don't get me wrong; I love to swim," he says, "but if you really want it, sometimes things have to take a back seat. I'd like to think I could get in really good shape, but I'd need 70-to-100 days with good intensity and training. When you are on deck so much, sometimes getting in the water isn't as appealing as a bike ride," he says.

"There was a point in my career when my identity was performance-based. That's not so true these days. Coaching is a lot of fun."

For Patten, swimming remains a catalyst. He gets to play for a living and interact with his charges. He'll be rooting for Dara (Torres) and Angel (Martino), but this year, Masters Short Course Nationals may be as close as he gets to Trials.

Sandy Neilson-Bell (44)
A triple gold medalist in 1972 in Munich at age 16, Sandy Neilson-Bell currently holds eight FINA Masters world records in the IMs and freestyles. She finaled in the 1988 Trials, swam there in 1992 and just missed qualifying in 1996 by 9-hundredths. At 39, she became the oldest swimmer to qualify for senior nationals, a feat she hopes to duplicate this year, making her and Angie Wester-Krieg the only aquanauts to do that over four decades.

Elbow problems and subsequent rehabbing in 1999 slowed her considerably. Now she is going 3,000 to 6,000 meters, six or seven times a week, and repeating well in practice.

Getting in enough races is her main concern. "I'm a little slow off the blocks, and I take a lot longer to recover,' she says, "and making a living and swimming is a real challenge to juggle," says the mother of four and grandmother of one.

Masters has played a huge role in her swimming. Aside from the hundreds of world and national records and Top 10 rankings, through Masters she found her husband, Keith, organized and coached seven different Masters programs (four with her husband) and trained intensely for the last 16 years.

Several more short course USS meets and Masters Short Course Nationals will dictate whether she swims at Trials. "My goal is to make the team, but I'll be pleased if I make Trials." In the interim, she is going to take it race by race and keep having fun.

Angie Wester-Krieg (35)
"Absolutely, I plan to go. Olympic Trials is the Mount Everest of swimming," claims Angie Wester-Krieg, a Barcelona 200 meter butterfly finalist, who is headed for her sixth Olympic Trials. "I've been to every one since 1980." Since she's already made her 100 and 200 meter fly cuts, she'll also go to her fourth decade of seniors en route.

A tax accountant for Ernst & Young in San Jose, Wester-Krieg adds dryland training to eight weekly swimming sessions with Richard Quick and the Stanford women's team. "There is something very special about that group and atmosphere which helps me get to the next training level. I don't think I could ever repay Richard or the team for what they've done for me," she says.

Wester-Krieg has also enjoyed considerable work and family support, allowing her to pursue her day-to-day passion for swimming excellence. Her swimming coach, husband Peter, has been with her for the last 18 years. "I feel fortunate to pursue this together, and we are looking for a peak performance at Olympic Trials," she says.

Roque Santos (32)
Roque Santos, Trials qualifier in 1988 and Trials winner in 1992 in the 200 meter breast over world record holder Mike Barrowman, is going to Indianapolis. The question to be answered at Masters Short Course Nationals is, "Will it be as a 200 breaststroker, Strategic Accounts Manager for Nike, or both?' Right now, he is 7-hundredths off his cut time.

Competing priorities are making practice time difficult. He's soon to move, be married and start a new job, which puts a premium on his one-hour-a-day, five-days-a-week practice schedule. "It's pretty intense for that hour," he says reassuringly, noting that he logged 207,000 yards in February's Masters Fitness Challenge.

"My goals are to make cuts and not to look like a former swimmer," he says, acknowledging that he is not at the work level of today's elite achievers. Nor has he been to a USA meet in a while.

He has kept cozy company with Masters, however. One reason is his fiancˇe, Debbie Schultz. Another is the people and travel involved. "Masters has made me appreciate what I have and how lucky I was. To me now, the most important thing is the process of getting there, not necessarily the winning."

Wenke Hansen (30)
Former German national team member Wenke Hansen won't be going to Olympic Trials despite the fact she has made her cuts in the 100 and 200 meter breaststrokes. However, what she lacks in U.S. citizenship, she more than makes up through her presence with Ojai-Santa Barbara Masters.

Hansen teaches French and German at The Waldorf School in Santa Barbara, the city to which she emigrated in 1992 to attend and swim at the University of California at Santa Barbara. After earning a degree in French Literature, she took three years off before discovering swimming via Masters in 1998.

"It is so much fun," she says. The hour workouts were a pleasant change from the practices she had known. "I like the atmosphere. You feel like you don't have to be there; consequently, you want to be there even more. We focus on technique and drills. With less work, and thanks to my coach, Brian Seider, I'm as fast as I've ever been."

Age has helped too. "I'm more confident, and there is less pressure. In Germany, if you did not do well in the one annual national meet, you wouldn't be on the team the following year.

The formula is obviously working. Last year, she set short course world records in the 50 meter fly, 100 and 200 breast and the 100 IM, using Trials cuts as her carrot. Now, all told, she holds 10 world and 18 U.S. Masters marks.

Michael J. Stott is a contributing editor to SWIM Magazine.