Law of Averages Doesn’t Apply to Extraordinary OCC Swimmer

When members of the Orange Coast College swim team start complaining about tough workouts, teammate Sharon Thompson just smiles.

She understands the griping.

But . . .

“There are a lot of places they could be where life is a little more difficult than swimming laps and getting a nice tan,” Thompson said.

Like the Santa Ana Court of Appeal, for instance, where getting a decent tan is rather difficult.

“Impossible,” she said.

Thompson, a lawyer with the Court of Appeal, is living what she calls a ‘Walter Mitty fantasy’ as the oldest member of the Orange Coast swim team. At 36, she is twice the age of most of her teammates and is older than her coach, Don Watson.

Yet, the reality is, Thompson is awfully good.

On Wednesday, she competed in her first dual meet since 1967, when she was a sophomore at Corona del Mar High School. It was more than she could have hope for.

Thompson not only won the 100-yard individual medley, but did so in a time of 1 minute 6.87 seconds, which is better than the 1:06.90 standard set for consideration to compete in the state championships in May.

“It was incredible. Here’s this 36-year-old lady beating all these kids who are just out of high school,” said Chris Strople Jr., 17, Thompson’s stepson and a junior who swims for Estancia High School.

Said Thompson: “Chris came up to me before the race and said, ‘Just go for it.’ It was quite a role reversal for us, but it psyched me up.”

The swimming has come easily for Thompson. The hard part was believing she could do it.

Thompson went 14 years without so much as getting her big toe wet. She broke her leg her junior year in high school, graduated a year early, and then, after entering college, quit the sport to concentrate on studies.

Thompson got back into swimming in 1985 for the exercise. She joined the Loch Ness Masters, a club team in Costa Mesa comprising swimmers 19 to 70 years old.

She liked the three workouts per week at Orange Coast and the occasional individual meets. Perfect for relieving the tensions of the office.

What Thompson didn’t expected was Jim Loofbourrow.

Loofbourrow, 50, swims for the Masters and has known competitors and coaches in the Orange Coast program for 20 years. He even worked out with the team in 1973. He was so impressed with Thompson’s abilities, he suggested that she go out for the Orange Coast team.

“I could see right away that Sharon not only had the talent, but the drive,” Loofbourrow said.

“After having four kids who competed, you get a sense of someone’s talent.”

But, at first, Thompson thought it was more a sense of humor.

“I really didn’t think Jim was serious,” she said. “It had to be a joke.”

Loofbourrow persisted for a couple of months, and Thompson relented.

“I’ve always loved swimming, and this was a chance to see what I could do in an intense program,” said Thompson, who is a freshman in eligibility. “This was my chance.”

Just deciding wasn’t enough. After approaching Coach Don Watson and being accepted, Thompson had to work out the logistics.

“It was a big step for Sharon,” said Watson, who at 35 is a year younger than Thompson. “She had to take time away from a real well-paying job and disrupt her family life. She just astonishes me with her enthusiasm for the sport.”

Her family was easy. Her husband, Chris Strople Sr., a municipal judge in Orange County, and Chris Jr. were all for the idea and have remained supportive. But Thompson wasn’t sure if she could get the time off from work.

“It involved a lot of hours,” she said. “I not only had to be at Orange Coast for practice, but I had to take 12 units to be eligible to compete.”

As it turned out, her employers--the justices for the Court of Appeal--were flexible, allowing her to work half-time.

Some, you could say, were even envious.

“I had one justice who wanted to know if Orange Coast needed a quarterback,” Thompson said.

Thompson found no problems with the age difference. The rest of the Pirates accepted her right away. And if any didn’t at first, they certainly did once practice began in August.

“There are no age differences in the pool, only times,” she said. “I was a little envious of them when they talked about their classes. It made me want to go through the education system again fresh.”

Going back to school was easy for Thompson.

And why not? She already has a bachelor’s degree from California (1972) and a law degree from California Western Law School in San Diego (1975).

Still, Thompson chose classes that would be beneficial. She took word processing, in which she learns on the same type of computer she uses at work, and nutrition, which helps her with swimming.

“Besides her abilities as a swimmer, Sharon gives the type of message I like to pass on to the younger students,” Watson said. “She been through the educational system and is an example of how it can help you.

“You could say she has the wisdom of age and the enthusiasm of youth.”

And a great tan.