Kicker: Just keep swimming

AUDIO: Take your marks…horn…Splash!

MARY REICHARD, HOST: And they’re off!

Last week, Betty Brussel didn’t finish first in this swim race in Canada, but she did break a world record.

MYRNA BROWN, HOST: How’s that?

REICHARD: Because she’s 99 years old! Sound here from C-B-C Vancouver.

BETTY BRUSSEL: Most of my records, I didn't know I was going for, I come out and they say you broke the record.

Brussel finished the 400 meter freestyle in just under 12 minutes and 50 seconds. That’s almost four minutes faster than the prior record for her age category.

She took up swimming after she retired in the 80s and hasn’t stopped.

BRUSSEL: People come up to me and they say, “I thought I was too old to start” or “I think I'm going to quit, I'm getting old” and they look at me and they say, “well, you can do it if you want to.”

BROWN: It’s never too late!

REICHARD: I can testify to that myself.

It’s The World and Everything in It.

WORLD Radio transcripts are created on a rush deadline. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of WORLD Radio programming is the audio record.