Cranberry swimmer wins all 7 of her events at National Senior Games
PITTSBURGH — Not COVID, not the competition ... Nothing seems to be able to stop Janet McDonough.
The Cranberry Township resident and longtime Masters swimmer competed in the age 65-69 age group at the National Senior Games in Pittsburgh last week. She participated in seven events — and won them all.
“She set a couple of (Senior Games) records along the way,” her husband, Michael McDonough, said. “I’m proud of her. She just keeps on going. It’s a good habit.”
Not turning 65 until November, McDonough was able to compete in the 65-69 category as the National Senior Games goes by what the competitor’s age is as of Dec. 31 of that year. She won the 50-, 100- and 200-yard backstroke, 100- and 200-yard individual medleys and swam legs of the 200-yard free relay and 200-yard medley relay.
McDonough broke the National Senior Games 65-69 record in the 200 back by 14 seconds, swimming the event in 2 minutes, 36.11 seconds. The previous mark of 2:50.06 was set in 2019.
She snapped the 12-year-old record in the 50 back with a time of 32.54 seconds. The previous mark of 32.58 was set in 2011.
“Being one of the youngest in the 65-69 age division may have helped me a little bit, but not much,” McDonough said. “The important part of this is how much and hard you train and whether you can stay healthy.
“I always set goals for myself in terms of time. I thought I’d come closer to the record in a couple of events, then my time in the 200 back surprised me a little, so you never know.”
The National Senior Games marked the first competition for McDonough since the COVID-19 pandemic shut most athletic events down, including the National Senior Games themselves.
“When you’re taken out of your routine as an athlete, it makes it hard to stay in condition,” McDonough said. “It’s especially tough when you’re a Senior athlete because it takes that much longer to get back into shape.
“I wound up cross-training by playing pickle ball. I felt like a fish out of water at first, but that’s a great cross-training sport. I wound up really enjoying it.”
But she still enjoys her time in the pool the most.
A standout Division I collegiate swimmer at West Virginia University, McDonough has numerous achievements as a Masters swimmer. She is part of a pair of relay teams that set world records.
She trains with other competitive swimmers — current and former Div. I and II college athletes — at 5:30 a.m. a few days a week at the Rose Schneider YMCA in Cranberry. She also swims with a group at 9:30 a.m. there.
“I retired in January of 2022, so now I pick and choose what group I train with at the Y,” McDonough said. “Sometimes it’s early morning, sometimes it’s mid-morning.”
She also trained with a Masters team in Hilton Head, S.C., from January to March of this year.
“Training with a different group and coach like that really helped me get ready for the Senior Games,” McDonough said.
Now the question is, what’s next?
The United States Masters Swimming Nationals are next year in Indianapolis. The U.S. Olympic Trials will be held there two weeks prior and McDonough already has a ticket to watch that.
The Pan-Am senior Games are in Cleveland next summer and McDonough is on the cover of the brochure for that event. The 2025 National Senior Games are in Des Moines, Iowa.
“As long as I’m healthy, I’m, always going to swim,” McDonough said. “It benefits me so much mentally and physically. As for competing, I just don’t know right now. As an event approaches, I decide then.
“Going to the U.S. Olympic Trials has always been on my bucket list. I’m going to be out there (in Indianapolis) anyway, so who knows?”
She has her husband’s support either way.
“It’s all positive,“ he said. ”When she competes, she just gets after it.“
