Emory Givens, a 90-year-old D.C. native, has been active his entire life, and he’s not letting his age stop that anytime soon.
Givens grew up in a time where physical activity was necessary to get around the nation’s capital.
“During segregation, [my walk] was about five miles just to go to school at Shaw Junior High,” he told The Informer.
Despite having to navigate racism, a young Givens found a way to have fun and stay active even beyond his required walks to and from school.
“I’ve been swimming all of my life,” said Givens, who will be 91 in July. “I went to Banneker Pool when I was a kid. That was the first Black pool.”
For Givens, swimming was a way of merriment, networking and gaining experiences.
“It was a way to meet other people and I was part of a swim team so we would travel to compete with others,” he said, “but sometimes we would just swim against each other to have fun.”
Today, Givens, who enlisted in the Army at 17 and retired in 1998 from the National Archives as a genealogist, continues to swim as a form of rehabilitation after a knee replacement in 2004.
“They were sending me to a pool up in Bowie, and I found out with the therapy — even though I went for two or three years — all I needed to do was to swim,” Givens said. “I kept thinking, why pay them $18,000 for six months when I can go here for about $250 for the year?”
Now living in Cameron Grove, a retirement community in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, Givens drives to Theresa Banks Memorial Aquatics Center in Glenarden to execute his own physical therapy.
“My doctor has given me a slip that says I need at least 35-40 minutes, four days a week, swimming,” he explained. “I have to use the frog kick, because I can’t bend my knee to go up and down like when you do the crawl.”
The Overall Benefits of Swimming
Since he’s started swimming regularly, the aquatic activity has not only helped Givens’ knee, but contributed to his overall wellness.
“It keeps my weight down, because I used to weigh 250 [pounds] and I’ve got down to 185,” Givens told The Informer.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that swimming is helpful for seniors and can be incredibly beneficial for all.
“Water-based exercise can benefit older adults by improving their quality of life and decreasing disability,” according to the CDC.
Amid National Physical Fitness Month and Older Americans Month, both celebrated in May, Givens emphasized the benefits of swimming “regardless of your age.”
“I think swimming is a great exercise for anyone,” he said, “because, if nothing else, it keeps the muscles and the blood circulating, and it’s easier on the bones.”
