The 99-year-old Canadian swimmer has broken three world records in his age class, but considers himself “lazy” because he only trains two days a week.
British Columbia's Betty Brussels broke records in the 400m freestyle, 50m backstroke and 50m breaststroke over the weekend.
She swam the 400-meter freestyle in 12 minutes and 50 seconds, beating the previous record holder by nearly four minutes. According to the Washington Post.
The Dutch-born swimmer completed the remaining two races within two minutes.
Although she is not yet 100 years old, Swimming is out of her birth year and Brussels was born in 1924, which puts her in the 100-104 age group.
“I really like swimming. I love the feeling of sliding through the water and it feels so good,” she told the Guardian after her win.
Despite her amazing feat, she still considers herself lazy, only going into the pool twice a week and never practicing drills.
“What can I say? I'm a bit lazy,” Brussels, who has amassed hundreds of metals during his career, told British media.
But the swimmer was oblivious to the piles of gold in his house, telling the Guardian: Just swim. I just do the best I can. And if it's a record, that's fine. I would be happy if we win. But I'm even happier if I can have a good time. ”
“However, after concentrating on something like this and keeping records, I started to feel a little proud of myself.”
While swimming, Brussels “doesn't think about anything” other than maintaining a sustainable pace.
“I’m just counting the laps to see how many laps I have left.” she told the Guardian. “I'm always trying to find a pace that I can maintain. These races ask a lot of my body. And on the last lap, I give it everything I've got.”
Her coach, Stanley Wilson, said her great-grandmother was always full of energy and said, “When it comes to coaching, I make sure she's not doing anything that is biomechanically counterproductive or could cause injury.'' That's all I'm confirming,” he said.
“The reality is there's a lot of world record paperwork and you have to fill it all out.”
Although he's a great swimmer now, Brussels wasn't originally a swimmer. She grew up in a family of 12 and did not have many opportunities to pursue her hobbies.
She didn't start swimming until 1982, when she retired.
“It was quite a challenge during the war,” she told The Washington Post.
During World War II, she was a teenager and had to focus on taking care of her siblings. She also told the DC-based outlet that she was expelled from school when she was 14 and her family fell on hard times, with no electricity for over three years.
The dozen siblings learned to swim in canals near Amsterdam, she told the Guardian.
Brussels eventually married and immigrated to Canada with Gerrit in 1959. There she raised her three children, who are now ages 70, 72, and 74, while she cleaned houses and worked as a seamstress to make a living.
She competed in her first swimming competition in 1991.
“I swam the one-lane breaststroke and couldn't even swim it properly,” she said of her first competition. “I started from scratch.”
Regardless of the failure, she fell in love with swimming and began competing at the Canadian Masters level, a class for swimmers 18 and older.
Currently a member of the White Rock Wave Swim Team, Brussels has always enjoyed the thrill of competition and calls the pool his “happy place.”
The widow's family, including her great-grandchildren, attend the rally to support her.
On days when she's not swimming, she told The Washington Post, she spends her time taking 45-minute walks in the hills near her home, knitting, cross-stitching, and reading.
The soon-to-be 100-year-old, who will celebrate her birthday in July, takes no medicine or pills and believes she can live a long life thanks to physical activity.
“Sometimes I feel old. My youngest son, who is 70 years old, said, “Mom, you're old!'' But I don't really feel old. Only when I'm really tired. But the rest of the time I don't feel old,” she told the Guardian.
