A Love Story: Joe Wotton on Belonging, Leadership, and the Gift of Community

Some swimming stories are not about returning to the pool. They are about never really leaving it.

On deck during the Fall Classic Short Course Meters Meet at the Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Center, we sat down with Joe Wotton of Swim Melbourne Masters. Joe is 66 years young, a former national and world-record-holding Masters swimmer, an Air Force Academy graduate, and a lifelong waterman. His story spans decades, disciplines, and duty, but at its heart is something simple: gratitude for a community that has always felt like home.

Joe’s relationship with swimming began early. His mother introduced him to the water at a YMCA in Massachusetts. After his family moved to Florida, a backyard pool became part of daily life. Swimming and water polo followed through high school, where one moment still stands out clearly. Joe raced at the Florida state championships in this very pool, lining up in the 50 and 100 freestyle alongside a young Rowdy Gaines.

“The only time I was close to Rowdy was at the start,” Joe laughs. “After that, I was looking at his feet.”

That memory, shared with humor and humility, captures Joe’s approach to the sport. He shows up fully, appreciates the moment, and never loses sight of the joy.

Service, Leadership, and Staying in the Water

Joe carried swimming with him to the Air Force Academy, where he competed in both swimming and water polo for four years. He captained the water polo team his senior year, earned MVP honors, and won a national title in the 50-yard freestyle. He also set the Academy record in the 100 freestyle during his junior year, a time that stood as his personal peak in the pool.

After graduation, swimming took a quieter role as Joe built his Air Force career. Like many Masters swimmers, life filled the space. Work, marriage, responsibility. The water was still there, but not always accessible.

Swimming found its way back when Joe returned to the Academy as a water polo coach. He used the 50 freestyle as motivation for his athletes, offering pizza and ice cream nights if they could beat him in a race. Sometimes they did. Sometimes they didn’t. What mattered was the connection.

Swimming became a bridge. A way to lead, motivate, and stay grounded.

Nicknames, Teasing, and the Gift of Community

One of the most memorable threads in Joe’s story is his collection of nicknames, each tied to a different chapter of life. As a skinny cadet, he was called “Stiletto.” In water polo, squinting without corrected vision earned him “Squint.” Later, while struggling through weight training with cadets half his age, a sarcastic Yoda impression led to the nickname “Power.”

That name followed him for years. Some teammates even assumed it was his real last name. To this day, Joe occasionally hears “Hey, Power!” called out in airports by fellow Air Force pilots.

These moments are funny, but they are also meaningful. Nicknames signal belonging. They come from shared effort, mutual respect, and time spent together. They are reminders that sport builds identity as much as fitness.

Masters Swimming as Home

Joe’s Masters swimming journey deepened during his final Air Force assignment near Boston, where he helped establish a Masters program at a bubble-covered pool. Later, after retiring and moving back to Florida, he continued swimming, reconnecting with familiar faces and forming new friendships.

One highlight includes swimming on a world-record relay at the Rowdy Gaines meet, a full-circle moment that tied together past and present. But when Joe talks about Masters meets, he rarely starts with times.

“Every meet feels like old home week,” he says.

It is about seeing people you care about. Encouraging one another. Picking up conversations where they left off. Masters swimming, for Joe, is a place where history and present effort coexist easily.

The Greatest Comeback Is Love

When asked about his biggest comeback, Joe does not point to the pool.

He talks about Debbie.

Joe and Debbie dated in college but didn’t yet understand what love required. Years later, after both had gone through divorce, they found their way back to each other. More than 35 years into a happy marriage, Joe calls Debbie his greatest accomplishment.

It is a story about timing, growth, and second chances. One that lands quietly but deeply. Joe’s eyes filled with tears of gratitude when he talked about Debbie.

Living Fully, In and Out of the Water

Today, Joe swims four to five times a week, lifts weights when his routine allows, walks several rounds of golf, and spends a month each year in the Florida Keys lobster diving with family. That month has become a treasured tradition, filled with time in the water, shared meals, and gratitude.

Masters swimming remains one of the great joys of his life. Not because it defines him, but because it continues to connect him.

“I’m grateful for this community,” Joe says. “It’s uplifting. It brings joy. And I’m thankful to be part of it.”

Why Masters Swimming Matters

Joe Wotton’s story reminds us that Masters swimming is not always about returning after time away. Sometimes it is about carrying a thread through a lifetime, letting the water evolve with you, and allowing your community to deepen as seasons change.

Masters swimming meets us exactly where we are. It offers continuity without pressure, competition without ego, and belonging without conditions.

If you enjoy Masters swimming stories and reflections that honor both performance and life, you will feel right at home in this episode. Subscribe to the show, share it with a teammate, and if you have a moment, leaving a quick review helps more swimmers find us. You can also stay connected by joining our Mojo Messages, short encouraging messages sent straight to your inbox to help you live well and swim well. Let us know what Masters swimming has given you. We’re cheering you on!

Email us at HELLO@ChampionsMojo.com. Opinions discussed are not medical advice. Please seek a medical professional for your own health concerns.

You can learn more about the Host and Founder of Champions Mojo at www.KellyPalace.com