Even at 76-years-old, Alida Brichon keeps adding to her repertoire.

The athlete participated in the 55+ B.C. Games in Vernon last month, her 20th year of competing in the games. She enjoyed her best finish in 20 years of participation, bringing home six gold medals from various swimming events.

She adds those medals to a collection of more than 200 that she鈥檚 collected from the games.

鈥淭his year was the most gold I鈥檝e ever gotten,鈥� said Brichon. 鈥淢ost years I would get something like four gold and two silver, but I鈥檓 becoming a better swimmer.鈥�

After kicking water in the face of Father Time, Brichon is continuously improving in the pool. Her main event has always been breaststroke. It鈥檚 was the primary swimming technique that she learned when she grew up in Amsterdam.

Now, she鈥檚 adding both front and back crawl to her arsenal.

鈥淚鈥檓 getting there with the front crawl and back crawl,鈥� Brichon said. 鈥淭his year I was beating more people.鈥�

Brichon鈥檚 competitiveness is engrained in her DNA. It鈥檚 what pushes her to keep up a strong exercise regimen, which includes swimming more than five kilometres every week.

鈥淪wimming is healthy for you,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 great for anyone who can do it.鈥�

Once a week, Brichon completes a two-kilometre swim in White Rock with the White Rock Swim Masters Club. She spends another two days a week in the pool, but on those days she 鈥渙nly鈥� swims 1600 or 1700 metres.

Brichon lets up in the pool by a couple-hundred metres on those days because she spends an hour working out in the gym before she jumps in the pool. Working out, coupled with a regular swimming routine, has helped her morph into a more well-rounded swimmer.

鈥淲hen you get older, you lose your muscle mass,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 important to keep on top of that.鈥�

After she started working out seriously about two years ago, Brichon says she can lift more than double the weight that she used to with most exercises.

鈥淚鈥檝e found that since I started working out in the gym, I鈥檓 stronger than I was two years ago when I first started working out seriously.鈥�

Brichon鈥檚 love for sport and competition culminated when she first heard about the 55+ B.C. Games 20 years ago. Her love for sport shone so brightly that she found herself in a dilemma entering her first games.

鈥淲hen I first heard about the games, I wanted to go into tennis, badminton, and swimming,鈥� Brichon said. 鈥淭hen I realized you can only do one sport because they all go on at the same time.鈥�

That鈥檚 what led her towards sticking with swimming, despite a love for all kinds of different sports.

鈥淚鈥檝e been in sports all my life. To me, it is my life. If I couldn鈥檛 do sports anymore, I鈥檇 miss it.鈥�

Her passion helped her get involved with the 55+ B.C. Games 18 years ago. Since then, she鈥檚 worked on a committee with other people to help coordinate the games.

She鈥檚 watched the games grow over the last 20 years. Originally, the games included 800 athletes from across the province. Now, there are more than 3500 participants.

鈥淚t鈥檚 lots of fun, Brichon said. 鈥淵ou get together with people once a year, and even though you might be swimming against, them, you鈥檒l tell them 鈥榞ood job鈥�, because there鈥檚 a good chance your friends outside of the pool.鈥�

Even though there鈥檚 a friendly nature to the games, Brichon doesn鈥檛 let go of that burning competitiveness.

Athletes of the games are organized based on where they live. Brichon is part of Zone Three, which includes athletes from 性视界传媒 and the rest of the Fraser Valley. This year, Zone Three was runner-up to Zone Five, featuring athletes from Okanagan-Similkameen

鈥淲e were second this year and I thought darn it, we鈥檇 been first for four or five years, we鈥檙e slipping!鈥�

Even if Zone Three slipped in this year鈥檚 standings, it doesn鈥檛 look like Brichon鈥檚 impressive athleticism will tailor off anytime soon.

鈥淚 try to do as much as I can now because at my age, you don鈥檛 want to have any regrets. I can do it now, so why not do it?鈥�

trevor.beggs@surreynowleader.com
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