While swimming is all about speed, athleticism, and fitness, the elderly are nonetheless equally potent for competitive swimming. And as the age-old saying goes “it’s never too late to start”, the world is witnessing one such inspirational story as a 99-year-old swimmer breaks three World Cup records despite having started swimming very late in her life.

At a time when people are enjoying their retirement life, the British swimmer decided to enjoy swimming. She started swimming competitively at the age of sixty-six, and now, over 30 years later, she is the proud owner of three World Records en route to becoming the Michael Phelps of the 100-plus age group.

99-year-old breaks 3 World Cup records in swimming

Betty Brussel started swimming competitively when she was sixty-six and has broken three World Records in the 100-plus age group recently. She broke the 400m freestyle by swimming in 12 minutes 50 seconds last weekend and has also claimed the 50-meter backstroke in 1 minute 24 seconds. Brussel also holds the record for the 50-meter breaststroke in the 100-104 age group category where she currently competes. Expressing her happiness, Brussel said, “I felt so good”.

The 99-year-old was pulled out of school by her parents at the age of 14 during World War II and had to look after her siblings. After moving to Canada with her husband in 1959, Brussel worked as a house cleaner, and then a seamstress before retiring in 1982. With plenty of spare time, she then found her interest in Swimming and competed competitively for the first time in 1991. And soon made her name in the Canadian swimming circuits.

Betty Brussel’s late found talent

Betty Brussel started with the breaststroke in 1991 but admits to not being good initially. “I swam one-lane breaststroke, and I did not even do it right”, she recalled. However, it was only a matter of time before she started to break records. However, she doesn’t remember the number of records she has broken nor does her coach, Linda Stanley Wilson, who believes some of them have been broken already by now. “World records are not that important to Betty”, Wilson added.

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Brussel has competed at the prestigious Canadian Masters level and Huntsman World Senior Games among other contests in her 30-year-year career. She has been a member of the White Rock Wave Swim Team for the last 6 years. The team comprises 80 swimmers from ages 23 to 99 where Brussel remains the only active member in her nineties. Good health owing to the daily 45-minute walk has kept her in good shape as she hopes to keep swimming until her last breath.

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