If you are interested in associating with gay swimmers, there’s a club for that.
In South Florida, the Hammerheads and Nadadores are swim teams — both recognized by the (IGLA) International Gay & Lesbian Aquatics — that promote swimming in the LGBT community.
The Nadadores, espanol for swimmers, refer to themselves as “Miami’s Master Swim Team.” They meet regularly at pools around the city and have an occasional dip in the ocean. Their mission is to promote participation in swimming, charity, and social interaction in our community regardless of race, creed, color or sexual orientation.
“The City of Miami has been greatly supportive of the team,” said Nadadores Captain Kirk Arthur. “The Parks and Recreation Department know we are a gay team and they have no problem with it.”
The Nadadores meet at Charles Hadley Pool, 1350 Northwest 50th Street, Tuesdays and Thursdays (mornings and evenings) and Saturdays (mornings). Arthur encourages newcomers interested in swimming to show up Tuesday nights (7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.) and “have a good swim” at no cost.
The team also offers swim lessons by Coach Barry Gollop. Currently, the Nadadores have 80 people on their roster ranging in ages from 20 to 71. Arthur said the hardest part of recruiting new members is “gay men who have body image issues.”
“It really irritates me,” confessed Arthur. “Getting gay guys past this mental block of thinking that they have to look a certain way.”
In other words fellas, if you have a spare tire don’t let that stop you from jumping into the pool.
Swimming is a popular activity, hobby, exercise and way of life.
In competition, swimming draws participation on many levels — high school, university and professional. There are national and international organizations devoted to swimming, most notably the summer Olympics, which has featured swimming any every modern Olympiad.
For those folks living in Broward County there’s The Hammerheads, a Fort Lauderdale based swim team.
Visit www.Nadadores.org and www.HammerHeadAquatics.com for more information.
