Hi All

Some people are born organisers. They, typically, meet up with fellow competitors after an event and chat about possibilities in their discipline. One such group has linked up recently to form Zimbabwe Masters Swimming.

Last Saturday morning they put together a well organised international event at the Harare International School with teams coming all the way from Kenya and Bulawayo. There were about 14 different events starting with the 800m Freestyle that included Individual Medley as well as all the other strokes starting from 50m to 200m. 

The HIS school pool is a superb facility and has, supposedly, been designed for fast times – that opportunity seems to have passed me by! Each event had two referees timing individual competitors with photographer Gilbert Mupiwa (Gizzy) from Loft Pictures (0773-381-407) taking some great shots. Swimming is so good for your fitness being one of those “Feel good” sports that you can pick up at any age – the oldest guy on Saturday, Cuthbert, is 74 but I remember watching the World Masters swimming in Italy back in 2012 when a 96 year old guy had to swim with 3 of his juniors in the 100m freestyle for the 90-94 age group. 

There are lots of good clean swimming pools all around Harare where you can pick this sport up – either as an individual at Body Active or at paying swimming schools around the city.

Very interesting for me to see about 100 kids participating in the large school hall in an Interschool Badminton Competition. I last competed in this sport playing league badminton at the Drill Hall in Bulawayo way back in 1965! Are there any badminton clubs for adults in Harare?

The South African Masters swimming gala is being held in George next year from 10th to 14th March 2026 – a beautiful part of the Garden Route – why not make it a goal for you and a few mates to compete? See you in the water soon. Mike G