Swimming Suits Senior Citizen : 87-Year-Old Woman Conquers Lifelong Fear of Water

When Rae Terran climbs out of the Burbank YMCA pool after teaching her senior citizens aquatics class, she often is approached by pupils who insist that she cannot be 87 years old.

“Eighty-seven and a half,” she says proudly.

Terran, who lives in Burbank, began swimming 20 years ago. For the past 10 she has been helping YMCA swim students.

“I was afraid of water,” Terran said, “and I figured the only way to build my courage was to get in there. So I went in and haven’t sunk yet.”

Said George Saikali, the aquatics director at the facility: “You can tell Rae’s enthusiasm and determination in her eyes. She’s out here swimming every day. It’s like she’s 20.”

Every session, Terran takes her students through a breath-holding exercise.

“Sometimes she can hold her breath for two minutes,” Burbank lifeguard Francie Hageman said. “The people in her class will have to breathe twice or three times and Rae will still have the same breath. It’s incredible.”

Terran, who grew up in Buffalo, N.Y., is emphatic about the merits of swimming as therapy for the elderly.

“These senior citizens that sit around, they should all get in the water and do exercises,” she said. “I feel like getting on top of City Hall and yelling it out.”

Terran didn’t just plunge into physical activities when she started paying senior citizen bus fares for trips to the pool.

“I’ve always enjoyed climbing trees, riding swings with children, running races, I’ve tried everything.”

For now, she’ll stick with swimming.