DIDSBURY - For one local swimmer, hitting the pool for a few laps before work was a good way to keep in shape.
Didsbury resident Patti Wilson was looking for extra motivation to keep her going when she heard about the Alberta 55+ Games.
"I was swimming in the mornings anyway before work at the Didsbury pool," said Wilson. "When I turned 55 I was looking for something a little more serious. Nothing too serious; something like a race here or there.
"I looked up on the Internet and found the Alberta 55+ Association. They had swimming and all kinds of other things. I thought I would give it a try so I joined."
After getting in touch with organizers, Wilson swam her first qualifying meet in May.
"I qualified to go to provincials, which were August 10 to 12 at the Calgary Winter Club," she said.
Wilson swam four races and a relay, winning three golds and two silvers in her age category (55 to 59). Her gold medals came in the 100m breaststroke, 100m backstroke and 50m breaststroke. She picked up silver medals in the 50m backstroke and relay.
"All the races in each age group were pretty close," she said. "For the people there it's a very social event. It gives you an outlet to do something in a good atmosphere; a good venue. It was a really good experience."
Wilson was an avid swimmer as a youth but got away from it when she moved away and got married and raised a family.
"We moved back to Didsbury about 13 years ago and the pool was there and that was a big draw for us," she said. "So I started swimming in the mornings before work. You're exercising for health and that's good, but having that swim meet coming up is another incentive to get to the pool in the morning."
Wilson was very pleased with her results at the Alberta 55+ games.
"I bettered my times by about three seconds in just about each event," she said. "That was good."
Wilson's strong results qualified her for the Canada 55+ Games in August 2018 in New Brunswick.
"I was very excited when I qualified," she said. "It made it all worthwhile. We'll take a team down. It'll be fun. It's all on your own dime, but that's OK. It gives me another reason to go to the pool."
Wilson highly recommends the Alberta 55+ organization to anyone who might be interested. The Alberta 55+ Games take place twice a year at different locations around the province and feature a wide range of sports.
"When I turned 55 I was looking for something a little more serious. Nothing too serious; something like a race here or there."Patti Wilson
