Shane
Scott has always loved swimming. Like many other kids, he spent
his summers at the city pool and eventually became a lifeguard
and swim teacher. But, like many adults, he found it difficult
to motivate himself to swim laps for fitness. That all changed
when he discovered MTSC Masters.
“I was nervous about it because I didn’t know anything about
masters swimming or if I would be able to keep up. It took about
4 years to finally decide to go for it and now I wish I hadn’t
waited so long,” says Shane.
Shane really enjoys the camaraderie of the team. For the most
part, he finds his teammates to be competitive, but easygoing
and friendly. While 5:30 a.m. comes pretty early for most, this
former “night owl” especially enjoys the motivation of the early
morning workout.
“You really have to want to be there to get up that early so
there’s a great vibe in the pool and it carries over into the
rest of the day,” Shane stated.
“Ron is an excellent coach and keeps everybody challenged and
motivated even though there are swimmers of all ability levels
in the pool at the same time. It is amazing how smooth he keeps
things running,” he continued.
Shane
enjoys the occasional swim meet, but finds that his toughest
competition is between himself and the time clock.
“I like to set personal goals and the clock makes it easy to
do this. As an engineer, I like to figure out how things work.
Swimming has a technical side that offers something interesting
to experiment with at every workout. I like to change my stroke
or my pacing and then see how it affects my times. Also, Ron
always has great advice and he can see the things you don’t
even realize you are doing. Sometimes little changes can make
a big difference,” says Shane.
Shane’s
wife Donna and his daughter Heather offer a great support system.
In fact, Heather shares his love of swimming and is a member
of MTSC’s age group team.
“I feel so lucky to have Donna and Heather in my life. Donna
always encourages me in whatever I am doing even if it involves
keeping odd hours or driving to an out of town event. Heather
and I really love sharing a sport that we can both do for life.”
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Like
many people, Leah Fisher retired from athletics after high school
to focus on raising her three children, Kayla, 21, Jordan, 18,
and Ben, 12. However, it took one 5K race some 20 years later
to bring her out of “retirement”, rekindle her competitive spirit
and start her down the path to MTSC Masters and the sport of triathlon.
“It drove me crazy being passed by runners. I began running with
a bunch of people who were doing triathlons. They encouraged me
to buy a bike and dive into the pool. The bike was first and the
easiest,” says Leah.
Leah was determined to improve her swimming ability Joining MTSC
Masters was her key to success.
“The first day was very intimidating. I could not even swim 25
yards without feeling like I had sprinted a mile! Ron was very
patient. He taught me how to breathe, and he worked with me on
technique. Soon, I became comfortable and confident in the water,”
said Leah.
“With Ron’s help, I expanded my strokes to the butterfly, the
breast stroke and the back stroke. I discovered that swimming
is fun!”
Leah completed her first triathlon in 2004, winning second place
in the beginner category. She was hooked. These days, swimming
is as natural to her as running or biking. Her husband, Keith
Dennen, is also an avid swimmer and member of MTSC Masters. Leah
is most impressed by the encouragement offered by her MTSC Masters’
teammates. She recalls a demonstration of that incredible team
spirit they all share.
“In 2008, we competed in a swim meet in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
My friend and teammate, Phyllis Freeman-Junior was competing in
her first swim meet after overcoming her lifelong fear of the
water. She was petrified,” Leah related.
“We convinced her to enter the 200 yard freestyle event. As the
gun went off, she began swimming very methodically. Coach Ron
walked beside her in the next lane so that each time she took
a breath, she could see him. And when she finished, the whole
team – and many of the other teams – gave her a standing ovation.
It was a great day.”
Just one of many great days at MTSC Masters!
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