'I simply love swimming': 99-year-old New Westminster girl units three world data in single day

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Nobody can accuse swimming world-record holder Betty Brussel of doping.

The 99-year-old, who set three world swimming data within the 100- to 104-year age class on the Commonwealth Pool final weekend, isn’t on any prescription medicines.

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“I’m very wholesome,” Brussel mentioned in an interview from her condo in New Westminster, the place she lives independently. “After I do my swim, I’m simply exhausted and I recuperate in about 10 minutes and I can go once more. I assume I’m fortunate.”

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Brussel shaved virtually 4 minutes off the earlier world document for the 400-metre freestyle occasion, finishing the swim in 12 minutes and 50.22 seconds. She set a brand new document for the 50-metre backstroke, gliding to victory in 1:25:22, then churned her method by means of the 50-metre breaststroke, setting the document at 1:56:22.

“I simply love swimming and I’m aggressive. I’m going for it,” mentioned Brussel. “But when I don’t win and I’ve a superb time, I’m glad, too. It’s not crucial factor for me to win.”

However win she did — setting three world data in a single day. She mentioned she completely loved the Jan. 20 swim meet in Saanich the place the data have been set. “It felt actually good. Everybody was so good to me, you realize.”

Regardless that she’s a number of months shy of 100, Brussel competes within the 100- to 104-year class as a result of swimming makes use of the start 12 months of rivals.

Brussel was born on July 28, 1924, in Zaandam, Holland, simply north of Amsterdam. She was the second of 12 youngsters.

There was no cash for swimming classes, so she and her siblings taught one another to swim, enjoying and swimming within the canals when the climate was good. 5 of her brothers and three sisters are nonetheless alive, she mentioned. Her youngest brother is in his late 70s.

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Brussel was married in 1948 on the age of 23. Her husband, Gerrit, was drafted virtually instantly to go to Indonesia throughout its conflict of independence from the Dutch Empire. When he returned, they began a ­household.

“We had a three-year-old, a one-and-a-half-year-old and a new child. Two boys and a lady. All of them got here quick. There was nothing you may do about it. You’ll be able to’t ship them again,” she mentioned, laughing.

“However they’re my life. My satisfaction and pleasure. They’re good individuals and so they take care of me. They’re actually good to me.”

The household moved to Canada in 1959, residing for 18 years in North Vancouver, the place her husband was a lab technician. He was transferred to the U.S. for 3 years, then retired and the couple settled in Grand Forks.

Within the late Nineteen Eighties, Grand Forks constructed a four-lane swimming pool, which meant Brussel and her husband might swim all 12 months spherical. In 1991, on the age of 67, she competed within the B.C. Seniors Video games in Coquitlam (now the 55+ BC Video games).

“I swam one lane of breaststroke and I didn’t even do it proper,” she mentioned.

Undeterred, Brussel went to Castlegar to coach in the future every week and discovered how one can dive and switch and do all of the strokes. She has competed in each seniors video games since. She additionally competed in world masters swimming in Calgary, Montreal, Reno, Sydney and Budapest.

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“I like to be gliding by means of the water. I’ve had setbacks, too, however I at all times return to swimming and actually, swimming is simply my glad place. That’s why I just like the longest swim ones. I just like the 400-metres. That’s my favorite as a result of you’ll be able to’t consider the rest since you lose depend. So I’m simply relaxed and gliding by means of the water and I like it.”

Brussel paces herself, ensuring she doesn’t exit too quick.

“I simply ease into it and I get in a rhythm and I at all times have some left for the final lap — then I dash. Then I’m actually drained.”

Brussels can now not do the butterfly after surgical procedure to restore a tear in her rotator cuff 20 years in the past. However she nonetheless will get up on the block by herself, though she wants a hand or a shoulder to regular herself as a result of she’s afraid of falling off.

“I nonetheless dive. I’ll do it so long as I can. I nonetheless have fairly good instances. But when I get too gradual, I’ll give up competing. It’s not honest to different individuals to have to attend for you. Up till now, I nonetheless have an honest time.”

She drives herself to swim follow on the Guildford pool in Surrey twice every week, a 20- to 30-minute drive from her residence.

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Brussel additionally competes in workforce relay occasions. Her teammates like having her on their aspect, she mentioned, as a result of it pushes them into an older class.

“I really like the individuals from my swim membership, they’re so supportive. I’m very impartial. I prepare dinner and take care of myself, however they assist if I want it,” mentioned Brussel.

All through her lengthy, wholesome life, her motto has been “Be tolerant. Be sort,” she mentioned.

And it has served her nicely. “I’m principally a contented particular person,” she mentioned.

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