I'm Inspired By This 92-Year-Old Woman Who Broke a Record in Her First-Ever Swim Meet

Stella Kowalski, age 92, could out-swim me any day. Instead of jealousy, I feel nothing but awe and inspiration.

Kowalski competed in a swim meet at the Lakeside Swim Club in Louisville, Kentucky according to the Louisville Courier-Journal, competing in the 50-meter and 100-meter backstroke as well as a medley relay. Even better, she smashed the pre-existing records for her age bracket, managing also to set an “age bracket best time” in the 50-meter backstroke at a very speedy-sounding 1:45:57. As a woman in my 30s who definitely thought I was going to die swimming out to a sandbar in the ocean a few weeks ago, Kowalski’s achievement is a freaking inspiration to me.

She learned to swim in her 40s after being afraid of the water her entire life and now swims about 15 laps every two or three days. Though that is probably not so much, it sounds like an awful lot to me! I’m inspired, scared and impressed all at once. Outside of the pool, Kowalski sounds like a good time; according to her daughter, Lydia, she also enjoys gourmet cooking, morning yoga and Scrabble.

How does she do it? I don’t know, but I plan on adjusting my life to match the vibes of what she sad to the Courier-Journal: “Just because you’re in your 90s doesn’t mean life is over. There’s always something exciting to do, if you want to.”