I'm 51. I'm chubby. I love swimming. I'm very, very slow. I do not want to join a Master's Swim team again - timed laps and stroke improvement is not my goal.

I'm wondering why others think that this is an important goal for me? I'm curious as to why some seem to think that if your goal for me does not coincide with my goal for me that somehow I am a lesser person and not worthy of pool time?

Angela's post is simple - she relays a history of being unathletic (which is a realistic experience - been there especially with respect to being publically humiliated during track and field), a history of feeling of not belonging or not being welcome (been there - anyone back in the day could join the swim team as I did then be benched if you weren't competitive - happened to me), returned to swimming later in life and now swims for fun and recreation. Showing that physical activity can be about choice and enjoyment and not about speed and judgement.

And here we are criticizing this person for not improving her stroke or going faster in the pool and for not joining a swim team? Honest to G-d, people.