sports phenoms, later in life

Marathon swimmer Kathleen Wilson, 53, Charleston, South CarolinaMajor accomplishments:As a kid, Wilson swam competitively in the pool, but stopped after high school to attend a music conservatory. Though she kept up swimming for exercise, she bored of the pool and at age 34 signed up for a 12-mile circumnavigation of Key West, her first of many marathon events. These long-distance, open-water swims start at 10,000 meters (that’s 10 kilometers, or 6.2 miles) and go much much longer. “Swimming all night is not uncommon in this sport,” she says. Also unique: the finishing time is secondary to the accomplishment of swimming many miles. “Two comparable swimmers can swim the same distance a day apart and have completely different conditions, thus vastly different times, and we understand that,” she explains. Among her impressive accomplishments include crossing the 28-mile Molokai Channel in 20 hours and 52 minutes, her most difficult ever thanks to rough ocean currents and dozens of jellyfish stings. She’s also swam around the island of Manhattan (28 miles) and across the English Channel (21 miles), and at age 51 won the women’s division of Grand Forks, North Dakota’s Red River Swim (36 miles), placing third overall.Training plan:Swimming, swimming, and more swimming. When prepping for a race, she opts to do the bulk of her distance in the pool on the weekdays, with an outdoor swim on the weekend to both acclimate to cold water and train with the elements. “Each marathon swimmer crafts a training schedule to fit lifestyle and ability,” she says. “Some swimmers will swim a couple of times during the week and then do a long multi-hour training swim on one or both weekend days.” She also spends some time training in the weight room. She’s currently spending a bit less time in the water as she focuses on the <a href=http://www.swimcalm.com>SwimCalm program</a>, a teaching method she created to help adults overcome fear of the water and grows the <a href=http://www.swimaroundcharleston.org/>Swim Around Charleston</a> 12-mile annual event she started in 2011.Words of wisdom: “Always take the time to learn the ins and outs of any sport,” she says. “Find a quality mentor with a track record to guide you. Don't be in a hurry to achieve the highest level in the sport; it’s more fun to enjoy the ride and work as you are comfortable.”Obstacle racer Robert McDaniel, 68, Plano, TexasMajor accomplishments: McDaniel’s son, Brian (already a Spartan athlete), signed his father up for his first Spartan Race, the Austin Sprint in May 2012, as a Christmas present. Since then, the former recreational runner has done 16 Spartan races, finishing first in his age division in all but two of them, including three in 2014 post-knee surgery for a torn meniscus. He’s proudest, though, of the races in which he finishes without having to do burpees (the penalty for missing an obstacle). “Any race when I can hit the spear throw is a major accomplishment,” he adds. His future goal is to complete an Ultra Beast, Spartan’s marathon, at 26-plus miles long with 60 or more obstacles.Training plan:McDaniel works out all year, making adjustments as dictated by nagging knee and back issues. ”It would be too difficult for me to take time off, then try to get back to a reasonable condition to race,” he says. So, he runs two to three days per week, and focuses on core and grip strength in the gym as those are particularly important for completing the various climbing, crawling, and hauling obstacles. He’s subsequently become a Spartan coach to help others conquer the races.Words of wisdom: “If I can do it, you can do it,” says McDaniel. "If you need a support mechanism, get a family member or friend to join you. If you need help getting off the couch, get a coach.” <style>
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Later-in-life sports phenoms

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