Photo by Edward Mcquiston

They are seven, some of the shining stars of Wellesley athletics through the decades. Some have competed in NCAA national championships and have garnered All-American honors. Some have taken home scholar-athlete awards and hold records in their sports. One spent 16 years building Wellesley’s athletic program into what it is today. In October, they stepped into the campus limelight, interacting with students as they joined celebrations to induct them into the Wellesley Athletics Hall of Fame.

Each has a story to tell of the way sports have shaped and enriched her life. Betsy Turner Jordan ’59—a highly decorated masters swimmer—spoke to the magazine about her decades in the water. The stories of other inductees can be found at magazine.wellesley.edu.

When Betsy Turner Jordan ’59 came to Wellesley in the pre-Title IX days, there was no intercollegiate swimming program. As a teenager, she had set a national junior record in the 200-yard backstroke and won a three-mile national lake swim. At Senior Nationals, she had placed second in several backstroke events, and in 1952 she was a member of a 150-meter medley relay team that set an American record. But at the time, the only place women could go to college and still swim was Purdue University. “I didn’t want to go to Purdue. I wanted to go to Wellesley!” she remembers. So Jordan came and swam in intramural dorm meets—and water ballet performances.

In 1971, Turner plunged back into compet-itive swimming, this time at the masters level, while raising four children and earning a doctoral degree. She competed across the U.S. and participated in world championships as far away as Tokyo and Christchurch, New Zealand. She set 38 world records in different age groups for backstroke, butterfly, and individual medley. She has also competed in open water swims, most notably in 2012 as part of a six-woman over-70 team, where—at age 75—she helped set a new Catalina Channel Swimming Federation age group record that still stands.

Do you still swim competitively or just for pleasure? What’s your daily routine?

I swim primarily for pleasure now, although from time to time I am coaxed back into competition. For instance, my four children and I [formed] a team, called “the Jordan pod,” to compete in a 10-mile relay event in September to benefit juvenile diabetes. As for daily routine, it changes according to time of year and weather. Here in southern California, the ocean is warm enough for comfortable swimming usually through October. Otherwise, I seek out nearby pools for regular workouts. I try to swim at least three times a week, for about an hour.

What accomplishment are you most proud of?

The most thrilling thing for me was being inducted into the International Masters Swimming Hall of Fame in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., in 2005. My induction signifies long-term dedication to the sport of swimming, as well as specific accomplishments.

What are the most important lessons swimming has taught you?

In swimming, as in any other sport, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. But overall, it is the participation that enriches. Learning to win graciously, and—perhaps even more important—learning to lose gracefully, teach one to enjoy a sport, to get to know one’s competitors, and to take delight in helping one’s body grow and develop. Friendships made through swimming are lasting and deep.

Any words of advice for older athletes?

Jump right in! There are skill levels for everyone. Your body will thank you for the regular attention and loving care you give to it. Your family will thank you for keeping yourself in good shape. Your friends will thank you for your time and attention. You will find that you have more energy, and that you fit comfortably into whatever life’s governing genie has in store for you.

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