Tim Thornton, 65, still has what it takes to swim with some of
the the best.
Tim Thornton, 65, still has what it takes to swim with some of the the best.
Thornton, the original coach for the Morgan Hill Swim Club, helped found the Morgan Hill Masters Swim Club.
The former triathletes recalls the first time he competed in a triathalon in Monterey upon the urging of a friend and then getting sick after the swimming part. For 10 years after that he started training regularly in the water for triathletes, but never attended a swim meet until about six years ago.
“I tore my aquiles tendon so I couldn’t run, but I wanted to get back in the water,” Thornton said. “So I went and swam with them with Lynn Gautschi and some of her kids. We thought it would be nice to have a masters program”
Thornton, who works part time at Intero Real Estate, said that when he competes, he meets people he’s swam against before.
“When I went to the Nationals, I met people who I swam against in college who I hadn’t seen since,” Thornton said. “We were hard nail competitors in the 50s. All the real rivalry is gone because in masters you compete for your own satisfaction. The bigger clubs are more competitive because they can put relays together.”
Tim Thornton placed in all six events that he entered in the 2001 Masters US National Championship Meet held at the Santa Clara Swim Complex.
More than 1800 of the top Masters participated in the swim meet.
Thornton, who is still going strong, said he doesn’t have any plans to quit swimming.
“I don’t know about the competitive part, but I will probably just keep going until I can’t do it any more,” Thornton said. “There are people in the swim meets I go to who are still in their 80s or 90s.”
For along time, aquatics was the only thing for kids to do in Morgan Hill, Thornton said
“We had a good aquatics program in town, and that really was the only activity for kids,” Thornton said. “Morgan Hill has been blessed with some really good coaches. Our best friends in Morgan Hill have all had some connection with the swimming program. Wins, losses and All-Americans are important, but when you get families together and keep them together with good activities for the kids, that is where it is most important.”
“The impact in the community is far beyond what you see,” Thornton added. “It cuts across the whole community.”
