Some members of San Diego-based pro group Team Elite, including former World Record holder Kathleen Baker, are training at a local backyard pool amid pool closures brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, Baker told SwimSwam.
The pool belongs to a woman whose daughter does acupuncture on the team and generally helps them out “in any ways [they] need,” Baker said. Two swimmers can use the facility at one time and coaches David Marsh and Javier Sossa have been on deck. Baker has been swimming two to three times a week for 40-50 minutes.
Baker posted a video of the setup on Instagram last week:
Last week, California governor Gavin Newsom announced a four-step plan for his state to reopen. As of Monday, he announced that some lower-risk businesses can begin to reopen while adhering to strict social distancing guidelines (like curbside pickup), and that there will be increased access to some public spaces. Some areas of the state remain under stricter guidelines, however, including the Bay Area.
Team Elite now joins the growing group of professional swimmers to find backyard training facilities amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Fellow San Diego-based pro swimmer Michael Andrew has had a neighbor open a narrow one-lane 25-yard pool to him, while up in Northern California, Katie Ledecky and Simone Manuel are also training in a local back yard. Out in Georgia, Chase Kalisz and Jay Litherland appear to have found an option as well, and Canadian Brent Hayden is training in his parents’ backyard.
My team trains in a 22 yard pool every day. 3 lanes
Now they know how us Canadians feel when we go from SCM to SCY
Baker was swimming so well this spring — was setting up for a huge Olympics. Hope she can continue that to 2021
Where’s Baker?
https://youtu.be/UlDbAOB4lr0
https://youtu.be/bCPhKUhoTf4
Where’s the VIBE, VIBE, VIBE?
I heard Andrew wilson is training in a 17 yard pool in someone’s basement, which also happens to be fully carpeted in shag. Where’s his article
22yd > 0yd…..Good for them 🙂
Canadian para swimmer, Dee Kisser, built her own pool to train in (in her backyard)
22 yard pool. Anyone remember the Bellefonte Y pool? Good swimming came out of those old 22 and 20 yard pools
Yep, sure do. Kuztown Y had a smaller one, maybe even 16 or 18 yards. That was interesting…!
5 laps for a 100, 10 for a 2. 160 yard IM. Finishing in the shallow end of what 2 1/2 to 3 ft water. Those huge fiberglass starting blocks, don’t even ask if there was a hand grab. I still remember when the girls swam at the YWCA. The worst things was you couldn’t just show up and swim laps unless you wanted to be in with a bunch of old guys swimming with jockstraps maybe. Yeah it was a very different world. For fun you can still find age group records from the 60s with 20 yard pool events, saw a few with Mark Spitz.
Swam meets in 1969 in 331/3 pool and 20 yard pool.