You Are Never Too Old

By Frank Sodonis

I’ve been a competitive swimmer for most of my life. Starting in high school, continuing through university, then stepping away for 20 years to raise a family. Over the past 25 years, I returned off and on through Masters swimming. This January, with my doctor’s encouragement, I dove back in again.

Masters Swimming Canada has a simple motto: Fun, Fitness, and Friendship. It’s a reminder that sport isn’t just about competition. It’s about staying active, staying connected, and enjoying life. Or as we say at the Highlands North Network, Happy Matters.

On the weekend of April 18, I decided it was time to test that old competitive spirit again. Travelling to Etobicoke and competing in the 2026 Ontario Masters Provincials with my team, TechnoSport Ottawa.

The races were great, but what stood out even more was everything around them. I reconnected with former coaches, teammates, and friends. I even ran into two university teammates I hadn’t seen in 50 years. We shared stories, laughter, and contact information. Moments like that remind you how sport stays with you for life.

In Masters competition, swimmers race in five-year age groups. This year, I competed in the 70–74 category. Some people might wonder what athletes in their 70s can really do.

The answer? More than you think.

Over the years, I’ve been lucky to swim with some incredible teammates. While individual national records have been out of reach for me, relay events have told a different story. In a relay, four swimmers come together, and teamwork makes all the difference. I’ve been part of eight Canadian record-setting relay teams, but this latest one meant the most.

In Masters relays, the combined age of the swimmers determines the category. My teammates were aged; 84, 85, 84, and me at 70. I was the youngest of the group! Together, our ages added up to 323, placing us in the 320–360 age group.

When we checked the Canadian record from 2019, we realized something exciting. We had a real chance to break it.

Standing at the starting block, I looked at my teammates and said, “OK boys… let’s do this.”

What followed was effort, determination, and more than a little huffing and puffing. But when it was over, we had done it. We broke the Canadian record by one second.

The best part? The old record had been set by our own team years earlier, and two of those swimmers were still with us, on that relay.  Seven years later, they helped break it again.

All results are sent to World Aquatics in Switzerland. Based on recent times, our swim would have ranked sixth in the world last year.

But beyond the rankings and records, what stays with me most is how inspired I felt by my teammates. Their energy, their commitment, and their joy in competing are something I’ll carry with me for years.

And I’m not done yet.

At this meet, I also brought back to Lanark Highlands, two gold medals and two silvers in my age group. I can live with the silvers. I was beaten by an old teammate who went on to break four world records at the meet. At one point, he was racing in a heat alongside a 19-year-old. That’s Masters swimming for you.

So here’s the message I want to share.

If there’s something you loved doing when you were younger, don’t set it aside forever. Don’t tell yourself it’s too late. Whether it’s swimming, baseball, pickle ball, walking, dancing, painting, or anything else, give it another try.

Start where you are. Go at your own pace.

You might surprise yourself. You might make new friends. You might reconnect with old ones.

And you might discover that the best part of the journey isn’t behind you.

It’s still ahead.

Next up...National Championships in Windsor!