What does swimming give you? Masters swimmers know it well!
The masters swimming community consists of people who love physical activity, the positive exhaustion that comes with it, and the thrill of competition in the water. Here's a conversation with Adam Matusiak from Aquasfera Masters Olsztyn.
The Benefits of Swimming
Is your association simply an excuse to create a group of friends who spend time together in and out of the water? Or is it a way to achieve personal challenges and goals? Or perhaps an opportunity to take care of your health—or even an excuse to escape household chores?
If you were to ask each person individually, I think every answer would be different. Each member certainly has their own level of personal motivation, which leads to unique goals and challenges. Masters swimmers are people who want to stay active. Swimming together—especially in a group—builds bonds that grow stronger over time, making the shared experience truly special.
Among us are people who treat training as an opportunity to take care of their health, but a large number take their sessions very seriously, putting in a lot of effort. This dedication allows them to achieve great results in competitions both at home and abroad. Contrary to what one might think, household duties are not alien to us, and we fulfill them wonderfully. [smile]
The Masters Swimming Association Olsztyn was officially founded on December 15, 2014, but this was only a formal establishment of leadership. In reality, masters swimming has existed in Olsztyn since 2000. This is all thanks to Ania Goździejewska, who initiated masters swimming in Olsztyn, and Mariusz Gabiec, who currently "steers the ship" in his role as the association's president.
At What Age Can You Become a Masters Swimmer?
You can become a masters swimmer at the age of 25. In competitions for the masters category, whether in pools or open water, participants aged 25 and older are eligible to compete. The Polish Swimming Federation uses the following age group divisions: "A": 25-29, "B": 30-34, "C": 35-39, "D": 40-44, "E": 45-49, "F": 50-54, "G": 55-59, "H": 60-64, "I": 65-69, "J": 70-74, "K": 75-79, "L": 80-84, "M": 85-89, "N": 90-94,"O": 95-99. The categories continue every five years as needed. Open Polish Masters Swimming Championships, as well as other competitions of this kind, are held in both pools and open water. Masters swimmers are usually former competitive athletes who have retired from professional swimming but want to stay active in the sport. These swimming enthusiasts often form masters clubs and teams, fostering local communities and organizing competitions and sporting events.
How to Start Swimming with Masters
Are all members of Aquasfera Masters Olsztyn former competitive swimmers? Can you swim with the Masters even without a swimming background? How can someone join such an association, and what swimming skills are required?
Each of us has a different swimming background. Among us are former competitive swimmers with rich histories and achievements, as well as those who ended their careers at the stage of sports swimming classes.
Interestingly, some members have no prior swimming background, and in a few cases, they only recently learned to swim practically from scratch.
This proves that anyone can join us and train together. All information about training locations and schedules is available on our website: www.masters.olsztyn.pl. The training levels vary depending on individual swimming skills, ensuring a suitable challenge for everyone.
Swimming Training for Adults
How many times a week do you train, and for how long? How do you balance work, family life, and swimming training?
We train four times a week: Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 7:30 PM, Saturday at 10:00 AM. All sessions take place at the Olympic pool at WCRS Aquasfera in Olsztyn. Each training session lasts approximately 90 minutes.
Balancing work and personal life with training is an individual logistical challenge for all of us. Nevertheless, we feel that the training schedule suits most of us, resulting in good attendance.
A Passion for Swimming
Who are the swimmers of Aquasfera Masters Olsztyn in terms of profession and education? Do you share interests beyond swimming?
Our group represents a wide range of professional expertise and careers. Among us are teachers, university lecturers, doctors, sales representatives, uniformed services personnel, pharmacists, managers, technicians and engineers from various industries, civil servants, and more. [smile]
We share many interests—starting, of course, with swimming and extending to other disciplines, including winter swimming. Two of our members even won world championship titles in winter swimming under the IISA Poland federation at the 4th World Championships in Głogów 2022.
Motorcycles are another passion for a few of us, and spontaneous road trips “to wherever” are also part of our activities. [smile]
Beyond that, we don’t need much convincing to stay active. If someone suggests, "Who’s up for cycling, kayaking, winter swimming, or running today?" you can always count on a crew to join in.
We’re, you could say, one big family of positive enthusiasts addicted to movement. [smile]
Is Swimming an Expensive Sport?
You’re involved in organizing Open Water swimming competitions and travel to masters events across the country. How do you fund your passion? Is it an expensive hobby?
Engaging in any sport involves some financial investment, and we cover our costs out of our own pockets. The approximate monthly cost of training alone is around 200 PLN, thanks to favorable financial terms provided by OSiR Olsztyn, the organization managing the Aquasfera swimming pool.
In addition, there are costs associated with traveling to pool competitions, which are not very frequent in the masters calendar in Poland. Depending on the level of the event, the participation fee for a single competition—such as the summer or winter Polish championships—can reach a maximum of 200 PLN. During the summer, we see a significant increase in open water competitions. Since 2015, our club has been organizing the Warmia and Mazury Open Water Swimming Cup, a series of open water events.
Our winter swimmers also frequently represent us at competitions both in Poland and abroad. Unfortunately, these events tend to be the most expensive compared to others. The variety of competition opportunities is vast, and each member does their best to represent us within their financial means. Every trip is carefully planned to minimize costs, and for Polish championships, we try to cover part of the expenses from the club's budget, which consists solely of membership fees.
I would say that swimming isn’t a particularly expensive hobby, and the joy and satisfaction it brings more than compensate for any sacrifices, including financial ones.
A Swimming Tip
What advice would a masters swimmer give to a young aspiring swimmer, based on their experiences from both sports and everyday life?
In Hindu culture, there is a figure called Wardhamana Mahavira, whose name means "great warrior." Interestingly, his story shows that he never fought a battle, let alone a war, but instead conquered himself. This is what sports can help with—it teaches self-discipline, perseverance, and the ability to work both individually and as part of a team. In the water, a person is alone with themselves, facing their fears and weaknesses.
And it is this struggle that makes us stronger, better, and more appreciative of our achievements. Our message to the youth is: "Fight, persevere, discover yourselves, love, and be happy." And if your professional swimming career comes to an end, we invite you to join us and continue your journey with swimming as a passion among the masters community.
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Interview by: Maciej Mazerant / Editor-in-Chief of AQUA SPEED Magazine
Photos courtesy of: Aquasfera Masters Olsztyn
