Two Islanders take gold at World Masters

Published 5:47 pm Monday, November 24, 2008

By Matt Phelps

Many people on Mercer Island take relaxing vacations to exotic destinations during the summer. Islanders Sarah (Sherry) Weinberg and Carol Crothers went to Edmonton, Canada, for the World Masters Games. Although the two did not go to the competition together, or even compete in the same venue, both came back with the same results: gold medals around their neck.

The two Mercer Island athletes competed in the games along with more than 21,000 athletes from 84 different countries.

“It was a terrific experience,” said Crothers. “I didn’t even think I was going to get to participate.”

Crothers entered the competition with a strike against her, as she was recovering from a broken ankle that she suffered playing soccer on June 4.

“I got it taped up for all the events and my doctor said that I couldn’t injure the bone,” said Crothers.

One worry for Crothers was that the ligaments and tendons might not have been up to strength. But the result was the gold medal in her age bracket, 55-and-over, in the long jump with a distance of 3.25 meters.

“It was a personal best, so I was pleased,” said Crothers.

Crothers also competed in the 4X100 meter relay.

“I had never run the relay before, but we practiced the hand-off for three weeks,” said Crothers.

Her team passed a Japanese team with 10 meters remaining to win the gold medal after it began in the middle of the pack. Crother’s team completed the race in 1:05.5 seconds.

“We barely beat the Japanese team by four-tenths of a second,” said Crothers.

As far as her ankle goes, it held up fine.

Her teammates on the 55-and-over coed softball team, the Rockers, know how fast Crothers can run. That’s especially true for John Weinberg, the team’s head coach.

The coach is also the husband of Sarah Weinberg, 67, who went to the World Masters Games to compete in synchronized swimming with her team the Seattle Kaleidoscopes.

During the duet portion, Weinberg and her partner, Donna Wallen, 81, performed for the crowd at the Kinsmen Sports Center.

Although there was no competition for the duet in the 70- to 79-year-old age-group, the sport played host to 180 athletes during the World Masters Games.

The fact that Weinberg and Wallen competed in the highest average age group was not lost on Weinberg.

“It is a commitment to the sport and staying in shape,” she said.

The team won the gold medal in the trio competition. The Kaleidoscopes also won gold during the team competition against Vancouver B.C., Canada. Each competition included a technical routine and freestyle routine. All the synchronized swimming events were completed in one very long day.

“It was surprising how tired we were at the end,” said Weinberg. “I love the exercise and keeping fit. It is a mental challenge as well as a physical one.”

Synchronized swimming is not a new thing for Weinberg as she has been competing in the sport for nearly 20 years.

Weinberg said that one of the toughest things is to find new people to compete in her favorite sport. Weinberg is always looking for a new teammate or pupil for those up to the challenge.

“We welcome new swimmers,” said Weinberg. “We work out at Saint Edward’s Pool in Juanita.”

For more information on learning synchronized swimming, contact Sarah Weinberg at 236-0668.