50s

Meet the 50s

DeeAnna began with the team in 2001 and won a gold medal for the first time in her synchro career in the 2002 Nationals, winning first place in 70s trio with Lizzi and Miriam. Last year she took 4th place with the 'Synchro-Nuts' team in Las Vegas at Nationals. DeeAnna had never been a synchro swimmer before joining the Unsyncables. A lap swimmer since 1983, she has played team softball, was on a bowling team and ran 10Ks in the late 70s and early 80s. DeeAnna finds time to work with PAWS, an animal rescue group based in Upland. Her e-mail address "cincocanines" clearly shows her love and interest in her five dogs.

Mary first learned about masters while coaching in New England. She competed in Masters Nationals in 1982 and introduced the sport to swimming pals Bev, Lizzi and Kay when she moved back to SoCal. They formed the Unsyncables and first competed in Nationals in 1984. She stopped competing in the 80's to raise her children, but returned to the team in 1994-95. Again, taking a break, this time for obtain her law degree, she came back to the team again in 1999 and has competed most years since.Last year she placed 4th in Las Vegas as part of the 50-59 team. Mary's daughter Andrea also was a synchro swimmer and plans to join the Unsyncables when she turns 20 in 2010. Mary says, "I feel like a kid in the water, because it doesn't seem like I am exercising. I'm too busy having fun!."

Ruth won her first medals at the World Championships in Munich in 2000 and was part of the winning 50-64 team. Since then, she has participated in many nationals and was a part of the 50-59 GM team that placed 2nd last year in Las Vegas.. She had been a speed swimmer in high school and had always wanted to try synchro but there was no team in her area then. She found the Unsyncables in 1998 while doing rehabilitation for her knee which had been crushed and replaced due to an automobile accident. She says "I enjoy the camaraderie, laughter and realizing just what we can do physically." Active in PTA, she also finds time to help with her children, Connor and Rachel's activities. She has been a scout den leader for many years and accompanies the troop on campouts.

Kim, an exercise physiologist, was a diver at once time who placed 6th in the National Diving Championships. In high school, she participated in synchro and trampoline and played all kinds of sports, racquetball, tennis, biking ... She has three young children, ages 4-9 and a husband in military service which limits the time she can participate with the Unsyncables.

Vickie accompanied daughter Jenni when she joined the Unsyncables in 2008. She is a school nurse with background in synchro as a novice coach and Level 3 judge.She is also a Colonel in the Air Force Reserve as a nurse. In college, she participated in all sports and competed one year in swimming and 2 years in volleyball. She was part of the 4th place 50-59 team at Nationals in 2008. Vickie says, "My goal was that my daughter try out synchro and do better than me. She passed me up in only a few years. Either I am a good coach or she is a good athlete." Vickie's husband, John, is chairing the committee for the Masters' Nationals that the Unsyncables are hosting in 2010.

Corby got her start in synchro with LA's Team Atlantis and participated with them in one competition. She then joined a masters speed swim team and planned to swim the speed events in the masters worlds in 2006 in Palo Alto. Instead, she joined the Unsyncables and worked hard to develop her synchro skills so she could participate in the synchro events. She competed with the 65 & over team which placed first. Quite a way to start, right at the top! Last year, she was also a member of the 'Synchro-Nuts' 4th place team, as well placing 9th in solo. She spends much time in the water as a WSI teacher, lifeguard and as a private swim instructor. Her son, Josh, is currently working for a year in China and her daughter, Sammy, just graduated from UC Berkeley.

Sheila started swimming with the Irvine Meraquas as the only adult swimmer and joined the Unsyncables in 2007. She is a Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine and organized a World Laughter Day in 2007. A dance major in college with experience in Tap, ballet, tango, salsa, hip-hop, and the Lindy Hop, she now teaches Yoga. She went to the Nationals in Phoenix mainly for the experience of seeing a synchro competition but did participate in the figure competition. She will be participating as an alternate to the 'Synchro-Nuts' team in 2009.

Sylvia began synchro when she was 16 in Gibsonia, PA with the Richland Club and swam non-competitively with the University of Pittsburgh. She was searching for a synchro team years later, hoping to use synchro to a means to help her ultimate recovery from a spinal injury at age 28. She found the Unsyncables in 2003 and was "relieved to find other swimmers who also loved hanging upside down in the water." Sylvia's family are all involved in arts and entertainment as her husband is a filmmaker, her eldest child runs a film production company, her son wants to be an entertainment lawyer (currently in law school at Boston University) and her youngest daughter is now double majoring in Art History and Music at UCLA while performing in operatic performances there. Sylvia will have her California Teaching Credential in 2010 and hopes to teach in elementary school. She placed 4th in her solo last year at Nationals.

Not competing in 2009

Sue came to the Unsyncables in 2008 to help out her sister Molly and be the 8th person on the 50-59 GM team. Sue is the most decorated of any of the Unsyncables. She is a former U.S. Senior National Champion in solo, duet and team. She represented the U.S. in the first ever FINA World Aquatics Championships in Belgrade in 1973 and won gold in team in both 1973 and 1975. In 1977, she won solo and team in the Pan Pacific Championships. She swam with the Riverside Aquettes for 8 years and the Santa Clara Aquamaids for 6 years. She is always busy as the head coach of the nationally ranked Riverside Aquettes. She plans to participate again in the 2010 national championships in La Mirada.

Not competing in 2009