Omanu legend looking ahead to World Masters Games

LEGEND: Sidney Salek, 86, is planning to win some more medals at the World Masters Games in Auckland. PHOTO/FILE

Sidney Salek has an indomitable spirit.

Salek, a member of the Omanu Beach Surf Lifesaving Club, turns 87 in March and he will be one of the oldest competitors at the World Masters Games in Auckland a month later.

It will be his fifth Games, having swum successfully in Brisbane 1994, Melbourne 2002, Edmonton 2005 and Sydney 2009.

Most days he swims for an hour at the Mt Maunganui College pool, building up to the Games in Auckland, which will attract up to 25,000 athletes competing in 28 sports.

The Omanu surf club has taken over the management of the college pool and it's the best thing that's happened to Salek. He can train with friends and fellow competitors.

Salek takes his swimming seriously. A retired optometrist, who is short sighted, he wears his own designer prescription swim goggles to see better through the water and on his arm is the latest swim watch that monitors his performance.

As he completes the laps of the college pool, he pauses and checks his pace, stroke count and heart rate. He wants to be in peak condition at the World Masters Games.

"I'm doing my own programme for the Games," he says.

"I'm working on distance per stroke but keeping the power on. Swimming is about technique, technique, technique."

Salek has entered six events - 50m, 100m, 800m, freestyle, 50m, 100m breaststroke and 50m backstroke - in the World Masters Games 85-89 age category.

And no doubt more medals will come his way.

"I'm not sure how many people I will be swimming against, but these days I am mainly swimming against myself. The toughest competitor is myself and I just want to do the best I can," he says.

I might have to give the running away but I will give it a go this time. The way I look at it is, 'I'm the oldest in everything I enter but God's been good to me'.

Sidney Salek

Over the years, he has collected a swag of medals at New Zealand and international Masters Championships and at the World Masters Games. He held the 800m freestyle short course world record in the 55-59 age category in 1985 with a time of 13m 3s.

Salek started swimming aged 3 and is currently the oldest patrolling lifeguard in New Zealand with the Omanu club.

He completed his first harbour swim in Wellington at the age of 8 and hasn't stopped - he has been a regular in the New Zealand Ocean Swim series.

Salek swam the latest 2.6km Sand to Surf Mt Maunganui Ocean swim in 1h 27m, and five others came out of the water after him.

"The cut-off point was 1h 40m and I worked out that my training might just get me home in time.

"I was stoked. It was nasty conditions and I only saw two jellyfish but they didn't bother me. I just turned my stroke and body position to suit the conditions. As I say, it's all about technique."

Salek intends swimming the Auckland Harbour Classic, Wellington Capital Classic, Bay of Islands Classic (Russell to Paihia), Rotorua Legend of the Lake and Auckland King of the Bays races before peaking for the World Masters Games.

It is a hectic schedule for any swimmer, let alone an 86-year-old.

"I might have to give the running away but I will give it a go this time. The way I look at it is, 'I'm the oldest in everything I enter but God's been good to me'."