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Beyond 50 Magazine
Under the spotlight
On the eve of the Beijing Olympics, Beyond 50 caught up with former swimming sensation and triple Olympic gold medallist, Shane Gould.
You dominated your sport at the Munich Olympics in ’72, winning three gold medals, a silver and a bronze. What are your memories of those 16 days?
I mostly have impressions of my experience – the colours of the pool and surrounds, including flags and team uniforms in the village, the pomp and ceremony of award ceremonies. The tension of competition and relief of it being over, the elation or disappointment and dealing with each degree of emotion the results engendered. And then, adjusting to the ‘let down’ from all the build up and excitement; resurfacing to normality but with a totally different view of the world – transformed, grateful for the unique experiences.
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What are you involved in at a competitive level these days?
I compete in surf lifesaving in the summer, open water ocean swims and, once or twice a year, some major masters pool competitions. If I didn’t compete, I wouldn’t be as healthy. It challenges me to try harder and I’m surprised at what other masters athletes and I can accomplish. It’s certainly broken down the stereotypes of ageing I had.
Can you tell us about your current business interests?
The Shane Gould Swimming Project has interests in improving swimming skills in Fiji and enhancing pool use in remote Aboriginal communities.I value health so I support Bluearth (an Australian schools physical activity program). I support Good Beginnings (a national project helping parents to give their kids a better chance). I exhibit my underwater photographs. Some will be shown in Beijing during the Olympics with the Art of the Olympians group – the work is my interpretation of the sensations of swimming.
Your four adult children are all involved in adventure sports and are keen surfers – does it make you proud, seeing them involved in pursuits you value so highly?
It’s not so much pride as satisfaction that they are expressing their genes that have a lot of physical competency.
In recent years you have become a grandmother – it must be a role that you cherish.
I’m trying to set up time in the near future to have more regular time with them. I aim to keep in good health to go surfing with them when I am 60. I take them to the local heated pool when I visit and just hang out with them in the water.
You authored a book titled Fit for 50 a few years back. If there’s one piece of advice you could offer over-50s with regard to health, what would it be?
Move. If you don’t use it, you lose it. Do the things a kid does, such as stand on one foot and hop, roll on the floor, squat.
Over the past few decades many young female swimmers have been inspired by your achievements. How does it make you feel knowing you’ve had such an enormous influence on succeeding generations?
Very humbled. I feel a great sense of responsibility as I find out, more and more, the number of people I have influenced. It’s sobering. Young swimmers are more influenced by swimmers in the last 10 years until their parents tell them about me. Or they Google my name!