We are the swimmers who were part of various clubs during the golden age of swimming in Izmir between 1970 and 1980. Now, after 40 years, we are enjoying the pleasure of swimming together again as Master Swimmers in a wonderful club environment where our friendships continue. As we continue to include other swimmers who have also swum with us or transitioned to the Master category over the age of 25 in subsequent periods, our doors will remain open to sports enthusiasts over the age of 25 who have no swimming background.
Since our establishment in January 2016, our club has received great interest, attracting a large number of licensed athletes and achieving successful results, particularly in open water races, surpassing Turkey's major clubs.
Furthermore, some of our teammates have participated in team or individual crossings in important open water swimming routes such as Gibraltar and the English Channel, and their achievements have made an impact in the international swimming community.
Why Master Swimming? Today, as almost all clubs provide swimming education from an early age, the importance of master swimming has been neglected. Our club in Izmir takes master swimming seriously and aims to raise parents who instill swimming ethics in their children and introduce them to the world of swimming.
When we talk about Master Swimming, we can understand it as a group that includes individuals over the age of 25 with swimming skills. This group includes those who have received years of swimming training since childhood, as well as beginners or individuals at an intermediate level.
Master swimming, which is gaining recognition in Turkey, organizes various competitions nationwide in pools and seas during the summer and winter months, with the presence of the Turkish Swimming Federation and private organizations. Every athlete over the age of 25 is considered a Master, and new categories are introduced every 5 years, such as the 25-29 age category, 50-54 age category, and so on.
Master swimming competitions, which have been taking place for many years abroad and have now started in many cities in our country, are attracting increasing interest. In the Çanakkale and Istanbul Bosphorus races, athletes from all age groups and countries participate, and after the 3-4-day pool races, Master Swimmers take part in open water races of 1.5/3/6 km. Additionally, our club is successfully represented and wins various medals in World and European Master Championships.