Greenville Splash proves swimming isn’t just for kids, with more adults jumping into the pool
The Swimmer
It’s early and today’s schedule is packed with tasks, but Carolyn Moore beats the morning sun to Greenville County’s Aquatic Complex. “I’m training for an open-water swim in Key West,” the 64-year-old reveals. “It’s been on my bucket list for a long time. It’s 12.5 miles. You literally swim around Key West.”
The software exec runs into a dozen friends on the pool deck. Like her, several swam in college. The others range from rookies to ringers. Some are hoping to make improvements in their race times, and others just want a good workout. “To be honest, a real swimmer doesn’t like to swim by themselves,” Moore divulges. “It sounds odd, but it’s true. It’s really hard to swim by yourself. When you swim with others, people push you and motivate you. We just have a lot of fun.”
The Founder
That inspiration was exactly what Leslie Scott was hoping to create when she founded Greenville Splash in 2009. She’d lived in all the big swim states—California, Texas, Florida—and enjoyed participating in Master’s Swim programs, serving those over 18. Upon moving to the Upstate, when she couldn’t find one, she grabbed her goggles and went to work. “I’d swam my whole life, and it was the one thing missing here,” she explains. “We started with just two swimmers and it blossomed from there. We have more than 150 members today.”
Scott not only swims laps with the group, she also serves as a coach, devising daily workouts. “Swimming helps improve the cardiovascular system,” she says. “It helps with weight loss, flexibility, and releases those endorphins to get you in a good mood.” Swimming is also softer on aging joints. “It’s a life-long sport,” she says. “Our oldest swimmer is 95! You can swim your whole life.”
The Club
More than 60,000 swimmers across the country jump off the blocks through US Masters Swimming (USMS), and almost a dozen US Masters clubs are registered in South Carolina. The national organization named Greenville Splash Best Swim Program in 2018. Members pride themselves on friendships made between laps. “We swam 3,000 meters today and then went out for breakfast,” says Scott. “We all love the camaraderie and fitness, but most stay because of the camaraderie. We’re a second family. The bonds are close.”
Those bonds are tight no matter the flip-turn pedigree. Young adults who once swam with Greenville County’s popular S.A.I.L. program share the lanes with former NCAA swimmers from Duke, Florida State, and Clemson universities. “A workout is like interval training,” Moore says. “You do a set of something, take a break. Do a set of something, take a break. Between sets, there’s a lot of time to chat and rib each other. It’s what we do.”
USMS sanctions weekly swim meets and open-water swims, but the six certified local coaches estimate only about ten percent of Splash members actually compete. While some hold national and state records, others just enjoy being in water. Scott says, “We encourage everyone to swim and have fun with us. I can’t even imagine not having this. I’m part mermaid. Swimming is my life.” Now, that’s a big splash.
Dive In
- Greenville Splash works out Monday–Saturday mornings at either the Salvation Army Kroc Center or Greenville County Aquatic Complex.
- You don’t have to be a great swimmer to join, but you must know how to swim.
- Strokes include freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke, and butterfly.
- Through grants and donations, Splash members have taught 2,461 veterans, adults, and children how to swim.
For more, visit GreenvilleSplash.com and USMS.org.
