Dara Torres

Full Name: Dara Grace Torres
Nationality: United States of America
Born: April 15, 1967
Birthplace: Beverly Hills, California

Specialties: Freestyle, Butterfly
Height: 5'11”

Major Achievements/ Accomplishments:

- Has won 12 Olympic Medals (4 Gold, 4 Silver, 4 Bronze)

- Has competed in 5 Olympic Games

- Has set 3 World Records in the Women’s Long Course 50m Freestyle

- Has won at least one medal in each of the 5 Olympic Games that she attended

- Is the oldest swimmer ever to earn a spot on the U.S. Olympic Team

Interesting Facts:

- On August 1, 2007, at age 40 (just 15 months after giving birth to her first child), she won gold in the 100-meter freestyle at the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, her 14th national championship. On August 4, she broke her own American record in the 50-meter freestyle, 26 years after she first set the American record at just 15 years old

-Torres, at age 45, aims to qualify for the 2012 London Olympics

Personal Comments:

Dara Torres, at the moment, is the veteran swimmer of the world. She is currently aiming to qualify for her 6^th Olympic Games at age 45, after giving birth to a child 6 years ago. After having won at least one medal at all five Olympic Games that she has attended, it will be interesting to see what this Super-Mom can do this year.

Lesson #4 - Frontcrawl Kicking

Welcome back, beginners! Today we're going to go over an essential part of any swimming you do - the kick! We will specifically be going over the frontcrawl kick since it is the easiest one and the one that most people start off with.

First, there is a simpe drill that you can do on land that will make it easier for you to complete this exercise once you're in the water. Simply sit on a chair or couch, and lift your legs up into the air. Then, simply lift one leg up at the same time that you put your other leg down. Then, alternate, and keep going until you can alternate your legs rapidly. Now it's time for the water!

To begin, get into shallow water. Hold on to a pool wall with both hands. Next, try to lift your lower body up towards the surface. This may take some practice if you have a weak lower back. If done successfully, your body should be completely flat against the surface of the water with your hands on the wall and your face out of the water and looking forward. Next, begin to alternate your legs the same way you did on land. Your feet should come out of the water about an inch high and should kick underneath the water about a foot deep, meaning that your feet should have a maximum range of a little more that one foot.

While doing this, you should feel your body push towards the wall that you're holding. If you're not feeling any resistance, try and point your toes more. Pointed toes allow the surface area of your foot to push against the water properly, and hence will move you forward. Anyway, that's all for today, make sure to stay tuned for more tutorials!

Freestyle Technique: Bent Elbows

You see it all the time - it is often the ideal moment for any swimming photographer. The bent elbow arm recovery (along with a breath) is considered to be the most beautiful moment in a freestyle race; and for good reason, too!

The bent elbow recovery is one of two standard recovery options. The second is something called the straight arm recovery, which will be covered in a later post. Most professional swimming athletes and coaches, along with myself, believe that the bent arm recovery is the overall best option - however there has been much controversy surrounding the subject.

The bent arm recovery is performed by first taking one freestyle stroke. The hand moves all the way past the hip underwater, and then the elbow is the first thing to lift out of the water. The elbow lifts up until the hand is completely out of the water, and then the hand drives forward with the elbow still up high. The hand should enter the water at an approximate 45-degree angle, and then the next underwater pull occurs. Keep in mind that this is the recovery phase, meaning that your arm should be relaxed; the shoulder should be what drives the hand forward. The recovery phase is exactly what it implies; a short resting period for the arms before the next stroke.

The bent elbow recovery is by far the most commonly used arm recovery in freestyle. It is very versatile and can be used for any swimming distance. However, the shorter the distance, the more common the straight arm recovery becomes in high level competitions. We'll find out why on the next Intermediate Lesson, hope you enjoyed!

Jenny Thompson

Full Name: Jennifer Beth Thompson
Nationality: United States of America
Born: February 26, 1973
Birthplace: Denvers, Massachusetts
Specialties: Freestyle, Butterfly
Height: 5'10"

Major Achievements/Accomplishments:
- Won 12 Olympic Medals, including 8 Golds
- Won USA Swimmer of the Year Award in 1993 and 1998
- Won Female World Swimmer of the Year in 1998
- Won 14 gold medals in total at World Championships

Interesting Facts:
- Jenny was only 14 when she first burst onto the international scene, competing in the Pan-American Games where she won the 50m Freestyle and came third in the 100m Freestyle
- At 31 years of age, Jenny was the oldest member of the American 2004 Olympic Swimming & Diving Team

Personal Comments:
Jenny Thompson is a absolute legend in female athletics. She inspired many female athletes and acted as a role model to many. Her accomplishments were unprecedented by any female swimmer, and she helped the USA Swim team to become known as the best team in the world.

Hand Paddles

Hello everyone, and welcome to another Swimming Equipment section. Today we'll be going over all of the aspects of Swimming Paddles. This piece of equipment is extremely useful and helps with many technical aspects of the stroke. We'll be reviewing these aspects, as well as the price range for this item.

To start off, swimming paddles are placed on the hands the way that is illustrated below. Keep in mind that there are many different variations of paddles, therefore you will need to find the type that is most comfortable for you. Generally, swimming paddles increase the surface area of your hands.

Swimming paddles are very useful for many reasons. Firstly, as stated above, they increase the surface area of your hands. You can think of them as flippers for your hands. By increasing surface area, you will gain speed with every pull. Therefore, your body can get used to this speed and adapt to it so that you can swim faster without them on.

Secondly, by increasing the surface area of your hands, the paddles allow you to get a really good feel for the water. This also means that when using them, you will really feel any errors in your stroke and be able to correct them. If you have a pair of paddles that are similar to those in the first image, you can remove the bottom strap. This way, if there are any errors in your stroke, the paddle will come off completely or it will cause a lot of resistance.

One of the greatest features of swimming paddles is that they can be used for any stroke: Butterfly, Backstroke, Breastroke, or Freestyle. They can also be used for sculling, treading water, and many other techniques. Paddles are also relatively inexpensive, usually selling for anywhere from $5-20. Swimming paddles are well worth the price that you pay for them.

Thanks for reading! Be sure to stay tuned for more lessons, equipment section, and athlete bios. Remember, if you have any questions, post a comment and I will respond!

The Pull Buoy

The Pull Buoy is a fantastic piece of equipment that allows for the isolation of the arms. In other words, it is the exact opposite of a kickboard. We will now go over how to use the pull buoy, its positive effects and uses, as well as the price range for this item.

The Pull Buoy is very simple to use. It is typically placed between the legs, right underneath the groin area. The two inward ridges on the pull buoy are where the legs are placed. Here is a picture to illustrate this. Keep in mind that the pull buoy can be places anywhere between your legs that feels comfortable and that you can squeeze together to keep it in place.

The Pull Buoy has many uses and positive effects. Firstly, it isolates the arms, allowing you to focus solely on your pulling technique and endurance. Secondly, the pull buoy keeps your hips up high to the surface, allowing you to get used to swimming with your body flat in the water and your hips high near the surface. Finally, the pull buoy can also allow you to work on your breathing technique and body rotation without having to worry about what your legs are doing/ having your legs get in the way.

Overall, the pull buoy is an extremely effective piece of equipment that is a must for those who have trouble with their legs sinking. The pull buoy typically sells for around $5-12, making it a very inexpensive and effective addition to your swimming equipment. Thank you for reading! Please stay tuned as we have many swimming equipment, olympic athlete bios, and swimming lessons coming your way. Bye for now!

Flippers / Swim Fins

Flippers, also known as swimming fins, are a valuable tool when it comes to swimming. Many people follow the assumption that flippers simply make things easier and allow you to swim faster. While this may be the case, flippers have many more uses than this. In this post I will explain why flippers are one of the most important pieces of swimming equipment that you can have.

Firstly, flippers allow you to really feel your kick. Flippers basically act as extended feet. Therefore, they allow you to realize what kick tempo, depth and power you need to use to maximize your kick efficiency. Also, since the flippers are so large, if you have an error in your kick, you will feel it more than you would with just your feet. The increases surface area of your foot when wearing flippers allows you to feel every part of your kick, and therefore you can evaluate your kick more effectively.

Secondly, flippers allow you to swim at a faster speed. Not only is this important for showing off and getting a workout done in a shorter amount of time, but this allows you to get used to the faster pace that you are swimming at. In other words, your body will adapt to the new speed it gains, which will allow you to adjust your stroke rate and kick tempo to match that speed even when you aren’t using the flippers. Flippers are excellent for conditioning your body to swim faster and more efficiently.

If you are unfamiliar with flippers/swimming fins, there is nothing to fear. Swim fins fit just like shoes; you’re typically going to be the same size in fins as you are in shoes. They typically sell for anywhere from $15-40, depending on the quality that you want. A rather cheap investment considering the benefit that they provide.

Well, that’s it for this section, I hope you enjoyed and learned a thing or two. Make sure to stay tuned; many lessons and equipment reviews are on their way!