Steve Hammond’s journey to becoming a competitive swimmer is vastly distinctive from the status quo.
Escalating up in Ohio, he uncovered a love for it although swimming in Lake Erie. He would sign up for his brothers in the lake usually, but in no way imagined of it as anything he would be capable to do in a aggressive environment. His lust for the activity ongoing as he grew older and designed his way through significant school and university.
It wasn’t until finally he took his very first specialist work in Cleveland that he joined a local YMCA and the U.S. Masters swim crew, which held community competitions. He learned distinctive strokes and competed with the group but place swimming to the side when he and his wife, Kathleen, began increasing their youngsters in his 30s.
About 25 decades afterwards he returned to the sport. In 2019 when he retired and moved to Ahwatukee, he took it a move additional.
“I swam a good deal ideal out of school then took that hiatus and acquired again into it rather very seriously,” Hammond reported. “In the previous 10 or 15 yrs, I’ve competed in point out competitions, mainly in Ohio, and a couple out below in Arizona considering that moving out here. If you end in the prime three in your occasion at the point out amount, you can contend at the national amount. I’ve been ready to compete in nationals five moments and the ideal outing I’ve had was a 3rd-location complete in the breaststroke.”
The 64-yr-old not long ago compete at the Huntsman Earth Senior Game titles in St. George, Utah. It was there in an formal Senior Olympic placing that he shined.
Hammond gained gold in the 400-meter Specific Medley for his age team. He also took 1st in 200-meter Butterfly. He also gained silver medals in the 200 breaststroke and backstroke, and bronze in the 200 and 400 freestyle.
Hammond has competed in numerous point out-level events as a result of U.S. Masters, a swimming corporation in Arizona. This was his to start with time competing at the Huntsman Video games, where a number of thousand athletes competed.
What can make Hammond’s achievements in the pool specific is how he was capable to do it. He did not start swimming competitively right until he was previously in his 30s. Most swimmers at that caliber get started from a younger age on a competitive club workforce.
He credited his means to be energetic and effective to his schooling regimens at the community Ahwatukee YMCA and Unify, a neighborhood location that focuses on full-system energy, conditioning and equilibrium. Both Hammond and Kathleen, who is an avid hiker, exercise routine at Unify.
Hammond claimed he also thinks switching to a Entire Food items plant-primarily based eating plan has assisted him recuperate at a more rapidly rate than prior to. When the two retired in Ahwatukee in 2019, they commenced their new lifestyle and have reaped the added benefits considering the fact that.
“We really do not take in any processed foods,” Hammond claimed. “Our overall health has improved, my capacity to recover is so substantially more quickly now than I would say in the last 15 years. It’s truly contributed to helping me thrust tougher every single working day.”
Though Kathleen doesn’t swim Hammond explained she is his biggest supporter. There is not a day that goes by she isn’t coaching by his side or at the YMCA with him working out herself. They are their major motivators in anything they do, and he claimed he appreciates her for that.
Hammond’s achievements is anything he never ever imagined would materialize when he started swimming competitively. But he also in no way imagined he would stop up staying a component-time design on the facet. That commenced when Kathleen experienced him fill out a casting form at Chandler Style Center when the two initial moved to the Valley.
He’s now had over two dozen modeling gigs.
“Once I bought into this, I really liked it,” Hammond stated. “It’s a enjoyment retirement career wherever if they want me then I get it and if I really don’t want it then I pass on it.”
Hammond now has his sights established on competing at nationals future yr in Florida. Like he has all of the other competitions, he designs to tackle it headfirst and contend to the very best of his means.
“I can not set into text how blessed I consider I’ve been,” Hammond stated. “The time I have put in and the medals I’ve received, it would make it all worthwhile. Those competitions are the following obstacle that keeps me in the pool.
“Competitions are what motivates me.”