Swimmers learn to go with the flow

For 78-year-old Joe Loughlin, swimming is a key part of his life.

A resident of the Sun City senior retirement community in Huntley, Loughlin has had some heart problems.

"I don't know if I'd still be alive if I weren't swimming," said Loughlin, who said he swims laps at the Sun City pool.

Loughlin was among more than 230 people of all ages who competed Sunday morning at the Norris Recreation Center for the 11th annual Superbowl Swim Meet, organized by the St. Charles Masters.

"Swimming laps gets tiresome, but this is something to shoot for," Loughlin said. "I try to get my race times down."

Members of swim clubs from all over the area competed in five-year age brackets in all four strokes and relays.

They crowded around the pool cheering on their teammates, while members of the St. Charles East High School Swim Team ran the stopwatches and electronic timers.

The swim clubs are members of the nationally sanctioned United States Masters Swimming, which promotes the sport for fitness.

Corrine Grotenhuis started the Elgin Blue Wave team two decades ago. She coaches and competes for the team.

"It's a love for coaching and a desire to teach," Grotenhuis said. "I like to make people happy and help them improve."

The swimmers in her club have a variety of motivations, Grotenhuis said, ranging from a desire to compete to simply being involved in a healthy activity.

"Some people are involved strictly to lose weight," Grotenhuis said. "But everybody supports each other, and they push each other so I don't have to."

The oldest swimmer at the meet was 83-year-old Dick Scheflow of Elgin, a member of the Blue Wave.

Scheflow said he started swimming when he was 50, and has stuck with it ever since. He likes the backstroke.

"I feel better in the water," he said.

Jennifer Colby of Elgin, another Blue Wave member, swam competitively in high school and college, but then stopped to raise four children. She started again just last November, after a 22-year break.

"I'm getting my body back into shape," the 43-year-old said, adding that the toughest part has been recovering after races.

"The competition is fun, but that's not why I'm doing this," Colby said. "This is for myself."

Amy Stefancic of Sugar Grove swims for and coaches the Delnor Hospital Aquatic Masters team.

At 40, Stefancic said she tries to improve on her times in the breaststroke and individual medley.

"Sometimes it's frustrating, because I'm competing against myself," Stafancic said, laughing.

The Gray Sharks, a team from Niles, has members ranging in age from 18 to 73, member Brian Fergus said.

"I've been involved in competitive swimming my whole life," Fergus said. "I really like the camaraderie and meeting new people."