Strathmore swimmer medals

By Brad Everett Times Contributor

Susan Lust grew up in Medicine Hat, and it was back there that she picked up two gold and two silver medals in swimming at the Alberta 55+ Summer Games earlier this month.
Representing Zone 2 in the Women’s 70-74 age category, Lust medaled in four events on July 5 and 6, taking gold in the 50 metre (m) backstroke with a time of 56.22 and in the 100 m backstroke with a time of 2:04.85. She won silver in the 100 m freestyle with a time of 1:53.96 and in the 50 m freestyle with a time of 51.39.
Finishing in the top two of these events qualifies Lust to represent Alberta in the 2020 Canada 55+ Games in Kamloops, B.C. in August 2020.
“I’ll be looking for gold there,” she said.
Lust swam competitively from 1962-64 in Medicine Hat, but it wasn’t until Strathmore hosted the Alberta 55+ Summer Games in 2015 that she started racing again.
“I never thought I’d get back into it (swimming), but the games were in Strathmore so I thought I’d better try and compete,” she said.
She started training in April of 2015 and picked up four silver medals in the Strathmore games that July.
“The games gave me the initiative to work at getting fit again,” she said.
Now it’s not just about staying fit and in good health, but the competition.
“Swimming and breaking records is addictive,” Lust said. “But it’s a good addiction to have.”
She competed in the 2018 Canada 55+ Games in St. John, N.B., coming home with two bronze medals.
She trains independently two to three times a week at the Strathmore Aquatic Centre, usually early in the morning, but will be changing things up a bit to get ready for Kamloops.
“I’ll need to start cross training,” she said, “biking and walking in addition to swimming.”