Masters Spotlight: To Retire or Not to Retire; Susan Walsh’s Story

By Emily Sampl

BOULDER, Colorado, September 14. WHEN a person retires, it closes the book on a chapter of their life. Whether it's leaving a job or an athletic career behind, retirement usually signifies the end. Or does it?

Susan Walsh, 45, a member of North Carolina Masters Swimming, has been swimming off-and-on since childhood and has retired twice, only to be lured back to the pool.

Walsh's first stint in competitive swimming began when she was eight and lasted through her college years at the University of North Carolina. While at UNC, several of Walsh's teams placed in the top five at the NCAA Championships, and her individual talents carried her to national titles in backstroke. But after finishing college in 1984, Walsh decided to hang up the suit and goggles.

Eight years later in 1992, Walsh embarked on her first comeback, and after only three months of training entered the USMS Short Course National Championships where she performed remarkably well. She continued to swim for a couple years and then walked away for a second time.

It wasn't until 2004 that Walsh realized how much she truly missed swimming. Thanks to her three children, her competitive spirit was renewed, and she headed back to the pool.

"Watching my kids swim and train and going to their meets got me excited about training and competing again," Walsh said.

Now that she's back in the sport, Walsh has maintained a laid back yet disciplined approach to her training. She swims three days a week over her lunch break at work, and does dryland training two other days. She hasn't decided how much longer she'll keep swimming, but she is sure of one thing: if she's going to race, she's going to race well.

"I'm one of those people where, if I'm going to compete, I want to compete well. To do that obviously involves a lot of preparation," Walsh said. "I'm just playing it year by year and making adjustments to my training as I get older."

Regardless of how much longer Walsh is involved in Masters swimming, she wants everyone to know her appreciation towards those involved in the sport and how much she enjoys the experience.

"There are so many different things you can say about it. I really enjoy seeing people I swam against either in college or age group swimming, and just the whole training aspect," Walsh said. "I like the idea of a big group working together toward a common goal. Also, I'd just like to show my appreciation for the people involved in Masters. There are so many volunteers who may not even have any connections to swimming that officiate, volunteer and run the meets. Without them, nothing would be possible."

Whenever Sue Walsh retires for good, her absence from the Masters swimming community will not go unnoticed.

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