The BIG 40!!
“Jo Mitchinson 40 Stevenage” I’d been dreading seeing the start list for Counties this year. The reality was no better than I had anticipated. There, in black & white- Jo Mitchinson 40 Stevenage. 40?? The sting of this is made slightly worse because I am not actually 40, yet. I’m currently enjoying my last 5 weeks in my 3rd decade to be exact!! And yet, there, for all to see- sandwiched between a 14 and 17 year old is a 40 year old woman who won her first county medal at this event 30 years ago. In short- it makes me feel very, very old. Being older than my opponents is one thing. Being able to have given birth to any of the other competitors, finishing uni before most of them were born, remembering when every local pool was 33m & therefore racing over 3 or 6 lengths was the norm is another. The support I’ve received from swimming parents has been amazing; the acceptance from my training partners who put up with my strange quirks is very appreciated. I’...