A Masters Swim Group in Mercer Island, Washington
We are the Mercer Island Redwoods, a group of adult swimmers affiliated with United States Masters Swimming (www.usms.org) who take both our swimming and our fun seriously. We work out every weekday morning from 5:30 to 7:00 at the Mercerwood Shore Club in a beautiful 25 meter outdoor pool covered by a well-lit and well-ventilated bubble during the six coldest and darkest months of the year. Workouts vary somewhat in intensity, but all feature a full-time coach on the deck and lots of friendly and encouraging faces in the pool. During the summer, we provide opportunities for group open water swims in Lake Washington. We emphasize fitness, conditioning, and community, but we have our competitive streak, too, and we're committed to supporting the swimming goals of all of our members, regardless of what they may be. People of all skill levels and all adult ages are always welcome to drop in and sample the experience or join the fun as a regular. We meet for coffee most Fridays after workout to celebrate the week's accomplishments, both in and out of the pool.
Our group has been together at the Mercerwood Shore Club pool since the mid 90s, but dates back to the 80s, at least. The group currently includes swimmers in their early 20s, early 70s, and everywhere between.
Special Note: From Fall 2014—Spring 2015, our home pool at Mercerwood Shore Club is in the middle of a construction zone, and is closed, as Mercerwood completes a full rebuild of its clubhouse. During that time, our workout group has scattered to several local pools while we wait to regroup in May or June. We hope to see you then!
| Who | All are welcome. Please bring your USMS membership card. |
|---|---|
| Where | Mercerwood Shore Club — 4150 E. Mercer Way, Mercer Island, Wa. |
| When | Monday through Friday, 5:30-7:00a, and one Saturday morning monthly, 7:00-8:30a. |
| How much | $250/quarter; $90/month; $85/10-swim pass; $9/drop-in (for MSC members: $120/quarter; $45/month) |
Things to check out:
- We do the 1-hour postal champs together in January; join us!
- Several members attend and compete at area Masters meets, organized by the local Masters organization, Pacific Northwest Masters.
- For the past three years, we've been competing, mostly with ourselves, in the USMS Go the Distance postal event — as a group, we were the 2009 National Champions. Swimmers are encouraged to set their own goals for the year, and we hold small but unique celebrations at workouts, as each swimmer's goal is attained.
- Get in touch with other Redwoods members: join our mailing list, or contact group leaders Tom Grandine or Mike Schaeffer.
- Find us on Facebook at the Mercer Island Redwoods group page.