A Refresh, Not a Comeback: What Lauren Anderson Learned by Returning to the Water

Some returns do not feel like comebacks. They feel quieter than that. More honest. More necessary.

On deck during the Fall Classic Short Course Meters Meet at the Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Center, we sat down with Lauren Anderson of Palm Beach Masters Oahoos. Lauren swam through college at Colgate, walked away from the sport at 21, and returned to the pool after a 25 year break. Like many Masters swimmers, her return was not driven by unfinished business or old rivalries. It came from realizing something important was missing.

“I found a piece of myself I didn’t realize had been gone,” she told us.

That feeling is familiar to many Masters swimmers. Life fills up quickly. Careers, families, moves, responsibilities. Somewhere along the way, the rhythm of training, the quiet focus of the water, and the simplicity of showing up can slip away. When swimming finds its way back in, it often brings more than fitness with it.

Finding Your Way Back

Lauren joined Masters swimming in 2018. What followed was not a straight line. Over the next few years, she navigated divorce, a move, starting a new job, and then the uncertainty of COVID layered on top of everything else. Through all of it, swimming became her constant.

Not a cure. Not an escape. A grounding force.

The pool offered structure when life felt unsteady. Practices created bookends to her days. Teammates provided community without pressure. The simple act of getting in the water became a way to stay healthy, disciplined, and connected during a period of real transition.

That is why Lauren prefers the word refresh over comeback. A comeback implies returning to who you were. A refresh makes space for who you are now.

Training for What You Love

Lauren’s favorite and best event is the 100 breaststroke, an event that asks a lot of the body and rewards intention. Like many Masters swimmers, she trains in practices that often lean freestyle heavy. Instead of fighting that reality, she adapted.

She began adding more stroke specific sets into her week. Broken 200s. Thoughtful progressions like 75, 50, 50, 25. She committed to kicking at every practice, focusing on breaststroke kick and building leg strength to support longer races like the 200.

Those choices mattered. At this meet, Lauren dropped nearly a second and a half in her best short course meters 200 breaststroke.

The takeaway is not the time drop. It is the approach. Masters swimmers do not need more complexity. We need permission to train for what we actually love.

Practicing What Race Day Requires

One of the most practical parts of Lauren’s training has nothing to do with yardage. It has to do with preparation.

She and her teammates occasionally build practices around true race efforts off the blocks. A 75 all out. Full recovery. Then a 50. Full recovery. Then a 25. They do this for both freestyle and breaststroke, usually on Saturdays when there is time to do it right.

These sessions take patience. They also take courage.

Many Masters swimmers do not practice starts, turns, or all out efforts often enough. Not because they do not care, but because time is limited and practice windows are tight. Lauren has found that touching race speed with intention has made her more comfortable and confident on race day.

If you want to feel ready to race, you have to practice racing.

Swimming Through Change

Lauren’s story widens beyond training. Her return to swimming overlapped with a season of life that required resilience, flexibility, and self trust. Swimming did not fix everything, but it gave her a place to show up when everything else felt uncertain.

That is the quiet power of Masters swimming. It meets you where you are. It does not ask for perfection. It asks for presence.

For Lauren, the pool became a place to process change without overthinking it. Laps offered a rhythm. Teammates offered support. Progress came not from pushing harder, but from showing up consistently.

Lessons You Can Carry Forward

Lauren’s experience holds lessons many of us can borrow, whether we are returning after years away or simply trying to stay connected through a busy season of life.

Call it a refresh, not a comeback.
You are not trying to be who you were at 22. You are building something that fits your life now.

Train for the events you care about.
A little specificity goes a long way. Focus your energy where it matters most to you.

Practice race skills on purpose.
Starts, turns, and speed matter. Touch them regularly so they do not feel foreign when it counts.

Let swimming be your anchor.
In times of change, routine and movement can offer stability without demanding answers.

Stay connected to community.
Masters swimming is not just about training. It is about belonging.

Why Masters Swimming Matters

Lauren’s story is a reminder of why Masters swimming continues to matter at every age. It is not about chasing youth or reliving the past. It is about staying engaged with your body, your community, and your sense of purpose as life evolves.

Swimming becomes a companion through change. A place where effort is honest and progress is personal. A space where showing up counts, even when everything else feels in motion.

If you enjoy Masters swimming stories and practical insights that meet you where you are, 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 signing up for our Mojo Messages, short encouraging messages sent straight to your inbox to help you live well and swim well. Let us know what part of your swim life feels like a refresh. 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