HISTORY OF SWIMMING Swimming was invented before recorded history. Humans discovered how to swim by accident. A person probably fell into the water and struggled to shore using a dog-paddle stroke. There was an Egyptian hieroglyph for swimming dating from 2500 BC. The ancient Greeks and Romans made swimming an important part of their military training programs. There have been known swimming contests that were organized in Japan as early as the 1st century BC. During the Middle Ages in Europe, swimming declined in popularity. People felt that the water was contaminated and a source of disease. Not everyone feared...
PROFESSIONAL ROLE MODEL IN YOUR SPORT. Mark Spitz, is a well known swimmer who won a record seven gold medals at the 1972 Olympic Games. No athlete in any event had ever dominated a single Olympics as did Spitz. In 1972 he won the 100- and 200-m freestyle and butterfly events, and was a member of the winning 4 X 100- and 4 X 200-m freestyle relay teams and the 4 X 100-m medley relay team. Spitz set 32 world and 38 U.S. swimming records during his career.

He was a very big role model for aspiring young swimmers.