Is anyone planning to participate in Diving at the Gay Games VII in Chicago next summer?

Is there a belly-flop contest? I'll need a Speedo.

Masters Diving is just as it sounds. Old, beat-up, damaged, cunning, crafty diver-hacks like myself compete against others in 5 year age-group diving competitions: local, national, and around the world. Most of the divers have some modicum of a list for 1m, 3m, and platform. On platform, the older you are, the lower you dive, like 5m and 7+1/2m, as our shoulders just don't take it any longer.

You would be surprised to learn, the eldest amongst us is Viola Krahn, now 101 years old. As a matter of fact, she was on Jay Leno last summer! When she turned 90, a new age group was established just for her. However, the governing power, FINA Masters restricted her to only two (2) dives. She vigorously protested this rule, "It's just not worth my while anymore!". Well of course we couldn't lose her, so the rule was amended, "not more than four (4) dives". Hope you are laughing! But this is the truth!

But many divers from age group, high school, and college programs are unaware of our existence. And several of the 70+ age group divers have taken their final plunges. So, this is a recruiting effort!

How nice it would be to meet her and get an autograph!

http://216.239.53.100/search?q=cache:3HE7o...ang_en&ie=UTF-8

"Viola Krahn, at age 92, still winning diving championships.

George Bernard Shaw did not see his first play produced on Broadway until he was 94 years of age. A middle-aged cleaning woman you'd never miss found a copy of Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich. Next thing you know, clubs, casino, and TV are paying big bucks for the comedy of Phyllis Diller.

A 70-yr old washed-up entertainer, long retired and "out to pasture," was rejected by over a dozen Hollywood agents when he decided to reenter comedy ten years after he'd retired!! One young agent gambled on him, and got 15% of nearly 12 million dollars earned by Jack Benny between the ages of 71 and 80.

Surely you remember that one fellow who entered a whole entire new career field in his 60's, and at the age of 74 was reelected President of the United States. Harlan Sanders never made a decent paycheck in his life until he opened his first Kentucky Fried Chicken at the age of 69. I could go on all day. Hilga Crooks climbed Mt. Everest, for the first time, at the age of 90, and has done it more than a half dozen times since!! When a lady three times my age can outclimb me, I don't think it's a physical difference, rather, a difference of asking better questions, which inevitably produces better decisions."

:cool: :cool: Last summer, Viola was interviewed right after the USPS issued a postage stamp honoring Duke Kahanamoku. Duke was the ultimate famous Hawaiian sufer, and Olympic Swimming Gold medalist (1912 and ?). Viola told the story about her dear friend Duke, who would let her ride on his shoulders while he was surfing in Hawaii, circa 1920's. Can you imagine it!? I think Viola lives in Laguna Niguel, CA. Here is a link to Duke:

http://www.hawaiianswimboat.com/duke.html

My late friend Thom Gehring and I would joke about Viola at Masters Diving Meets in Southern California. After Viola performed her dives, she would laboriously swim to the pool ladder to get out. We laughed, because, Viola was actually a bi-athlete, diving and swimming. But the last laugh was on us, as we soon discovered Voila loved horseback riding, making her a tri-athlete. You Go Viola Girl!

She has had a stellar life on the water!

Thanks, TRL, for the city - I'm trying (as we speak) to get her address. wink

go get 'em.

I would like ask if there are any springboard and platform divers on OUTSports, at any level, but particularly Masters.

Thanks,

TRL,
San Diego