95-year-old swimmer’s workouts stun experts as she defies aging, shows others how to stay strong
Once she even joined a rowing club just to be in the water.
Asher married a vet named Robbie — and when he had an accident at work, she decided to get a job teaching swimming at the local school to help pay the family bills.
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She said her mother “was taught to swim in the sea in Cornwall and was addicted to water. We spent all of our free time just jumping in and out of the water. I took to it quite quickly.”
In Asher’s very first swim race, “a girl said that I kicked like hell. It was because my mother was watching. Now every time I have a backstroke race, I think, ‘Mom is up there watching.’”
Looking back on her long career, which includes 26 gold medals, Asher, at center, credits her love of the water for her health and happiness. (SWNS)
After transitioning to teaching adults how to swim, Asher started entering swimming competitions when she was 50 years old. She broke 100 records by age 80.
The legendary swimmer broke her first European record at a 800m race in Crystal Palace — after a wedding where she’d had a few drinks.
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To this day, she competes in several different races, but said her favorite swim race is the individual medley, which involves backstroke, breaststroke, front crawl and butterfly.
Said Asher, “When my husband died, I started filling the time, but it was hard because there is this big hole in your life. But swimming has given me such good friends, and they give back to me. All of my kids are very sporty, and I am very proud of them, and I didn’t realize that they are proud of me.”
Asher, center, with some of her swimming teammates. Her advice for the younger crowd is to keep active and swim wherever and whenever they can. (SWNS)
She noted, “Without friends, life doesn’t happen. There is always somebody pushing you on. I think that is what keeps me going — [knowing that] somebody [is] waiting for me.”
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In terms of her health and wellness advice for the younger generation, Asher said she’d tell folks to keep active and swim wherever they can in order to be healthy.
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“It is a really good non-contact sport,” she said. “You can’t hurt yourself. Running hurts your knees and your hips, and even tennis causes shoulder problems. … I had a good kick with very strong legs.”
“You must not stiffen up,” said Asher, shown above in both photos, “because then you go down like a stone.” (SWNS)
She also pointed out, “It is good to have something to think about. It is a bit like meditation. That is the secret, of course. You must not stiffen up, because then you go down like a stone.”
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Asher said she has no plans to slow down.
She’s currently working toward her next competition and another potential world record in Budapest, noted the SWNS report.
Kelly McGreal is a production assistant with the lifestyle team at Fox News Digital.
Article source: https://www.foxnews.com/health/95-year-old-swimmers-workouts-stun-experts-she-defies-aging-shows-others-how-stay-strong