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Swimmer's Master Strokes Lead to Third National Title in 12 Years

Posted on: Thursday, 20 October 2005, 03:00 CDT

By JULIUS WHIGHAM II Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

In more than 40 years of competitive swimming, Darcy LaFountain has achieved numerous accomplishments.

But for the past 11 years, LaFountain has had her sights on one goal - winning another national championship.

The Boynton Beach resident achieved that goal last month while competing in the United States Masters Swimming Championships in Chicago. LaFountain won the women's 50-54 age group during the 2.5- kilometer Big Shoulders Open Water swim meet on Sept. 10 at Lake Michigan.

"I felt good from the time I started that race," LaFountain said. "I've done distance swimming for a long time, 20, really 25 years . . . I felt strong; I felt confident."

It was the third national title for LaFountain, who also won masters titles in 1993 and 1994. She swam a time of 41 minutes, 56 seconds to claim this year's title and said she hopes it won't be the last.

"I've really worked hard to try to earn this last one," she said. "It took me 11 years, but at least I didn't give up. I'm not giving up on another one either. I'm going to keep going. I've got one of the greatest coaches in the United States working with me, so I'm really excited about my progress. I feel good about the future, so why stop?"

LaFountain, 50, trains at the Aquacrest Pool in Delray Beach with coach David Wright, a New Zealand native who trained an Olympian for the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.

LaFountain works in real estate. She has a 21-year-old son, Lee McNabb, who is a junior at Duke University in Durham, N.C. He also is athletic and competes in triathlons.

A native of New Jersey, LaFountain, who is divorced, moved to Boynton last year from Memphis. She has been swimming competitively since she was 4.

"My mother thought I needed swim lessons and the coach said, 'No, she doesn't need lessons, she she needs to be on the team,' " LaFountain said. "That's literally what happened. It was pretty quick."

A standout high school career led to the chance to swim for the University of Miami in the 1970s.

She has competed in other endurance events, including the 1996 Boston Marathon, but swimming remains her first love.

In addition to the master's title, LaFountain also recently competed in a 1,000-meter swim and 3.1-mile run in Miami, where she took second place.

Wright, who moved to Delray Beach earlier this year, said it didn't take long to notice LaFountain's ability.

"Darcy's an enormously talented swimmer. She won't say that, but I can," Wright said. "(She) works hard to cultivate that talent and that's a pretty hard combination to beat."

LaFountain trains with swimmers of various ages from the Aquacrest club, but typically competes in open water events like the Lake Michigan race.

"(Swimming is) just a passion," she said. "It's one of those things that becomes a part of your lifestyle. It's such a big part of my life. I really enjoy being here because I'm swimming with a team and having some camaraderie. It really is an individual sport, but this makes it more fun."

And as each year passes, LaFountain has gained a greater appreciation for the competitive swimming lifestyle.

"I love being able to get into the pool at 5:30 in the morning and say 'God, it's great. I'm here and I can do this.' I may not be able to keep up with the young people, but I can certainly finish a workout and feel great. I can swim for two hours and still go home and have a great day."

- julius_whigham@pbpost.com

Source: Palm Beach Post

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