SantaFe Senior Living
When 77-year-old Mike Stollmeyer and his wife went to South America at the end of June, it wasn’t strictly for sight-seeing. Mike has been swimming competitively for about fifteen years, and he made the trek to Colombia to swim in the Pan-American Master’s Championships and the South American Championships. Mike did much more than compete, however. He brought home 12 gold medals and 6 silver medals for both individual and group events.
The events took place in the city of Medellin, as well as Guatape, which hosted the 3000 meter race. The 3000 meter race was particularly difficult due to the city being 7000 feet above sea level. All told, Mike competed in the 50 meter, 100 meter, 200 meter, 400 meter, 800 meter and 3000 meter freestyle events.
“I’ve always done very well, winning medals in the past,” said Stollmeyer. “This result, however, was better than expected and I’m truly proud.”
Six of the gold medals Stollmeyer brought back to The Terraces with him were from individual events, as were four of the silver medals. He swam in the 75-79 age group, but pointed
out that in some cases, he was competing against swimmers from younger groups.
“We’re always proud of our residents and their personal accomplishments,” said Ross Dickmann, executive director of The Terraces at Bonita Springs. “Part of the joy of working in senior living is seeing individuals like Mike help redefine what it means to be retired.”