SWIMMING - Master looks forward to 80s

THE young at heart reckon age is just a number, but Fritz Bohme begs to differ - age to him is an opportunity, and the quicker he celebrates his 80th birthday the better.
The masters swimmer is 75 years old and counting right now, and he's already a legend in Northland swimming circles after setting 20 national records in the 75-80 year age group this year.
It is that stunning feat that has Bohme spearheading a Northland team heading to the World Masters Swimming Championships in Perth, Australia.
The Northland team of nine leaves for Perth tomorrow, with Bohme the best chance to come home with some bling hanging around his neck. But even before his team left, the indomitable swimmer was thinking five years ahead of himself.
"I want to get to 80 then I can try and set some more records, perhaps even a world record," Bohme said.
After some careful consideration, Bohme's theory isn't as weird as it may sound. For a start, Bohme has a physique any self-respecting 20-something would be proud to display.
The key, though, is that veteran age group classifications move up in five year increments. So he figures that when he turns 80 he will be as fresh as a swimmer can be in the 80-85 year division.
"I think if I can keep swimming like I am I will be able to win a world championship in five years' time. I will take some time away from swimming after these championships and then come back for the worlds," he said.
Not surprisingly, Bohme has become part of the furniture at the Whangarei Aquatic Centre. His dedication to his sport means daily training sessions that vary in length from half an hour to two hours at a time.
He attributes his success to that committed training ethic. There isn't any secret potion that keeps this old timer at the top of his game, just an old school attitude that isn't too hard to comprehend.
"I train," he said. "There isn't any other answer really, you just have to train, then train some more. That's the only way to get any better in swimming."
But even though Bohme already has one world masters swimming title to his name, a 200m backstroke win way back in 1992, he hasn't spent his whole life staring at the black line on the bottom of a swimming pool while training.
He has also completed a circumnavigation of the globe on a yacht. He hopes to get some sailing in before he returns to the world masters swimming arena as an octogenarian.
The other Northland swimmers heading to Perth tomorrow are Liz Furey, Helen Price, Robyn Allen, Lyn Milligan, Pat Owens-Bohme, Heather Hardy, Shirley Gray and Anne Barham.