FAST MASTERS: WHO'S IN THAT LANE? -- EPISODE 5: LYNDSAY NAISH
Who's in that Lane? Episode 5: Lyndsay Naish
Interview by Bill McGarvey & Proofreading by Meghan McGarvey
Well, if you have seen someone swiftly pass you in an adjacent lane, I bet it may be Lyndsay Naish! If you know Lyndsay, you surely know her! We will get into the achievements and accolades a bit later!
Lyndsay is a 35-year-old mother of Oliver 5 1/2 years old and Eva 2 1/2 years old (good spacing)! She is expecting a third child in April 2024. David, her husband, is a professor of structural engineering at Cal State University Fullerton. They live on a cul-de-sac adjacent to where this writer was born and raised! The house they call home used to belong to the Hill family back in the 50's-70's, they were a semi famous family of triplets in the state of California at that time. (1950's trivia)! Enough of that!
Lyndsay was born at St. Joseph's Hospital in Orange and started swimming at 5 years old. Being raised in Orange, her mother drove Lyndsay to Corona so she could swim with the Circle City Aquatics Club (2001-2006). Lyndsay says, "One might call it stubbornness, but I call it loyalty LOL." Jumping ahead, Lyndsay swam at Villa Park High School and took them to a CIF Division I Championship title in 2006. She was the first-place finisher in the 100 Back and the 200 IM! The Orange County Register honored Lindsay as High School Female Athlete of the Year in 2005!
In 2009 and 2011 Lyndsay represented the USA at the World University Games. 2011 was a great year for Lindsey's competitive streak. She won silver in both the 200 Fly and the 400 IM at the Pan American Games. Lyndsay continued her swimming prowess at UCI for two years and then transferred to USC. (More trivia: Our Masters coach Paul was her assistant swim coach at USC!) There Lyndsay recounts she improved greatly. In 2010, she earned a national title in the 100 Fly, with a 51.42. The national record was 50.80 (not NCAA). At NCAAs in her junior year she placed second in the 100 Fly!
Lyndsay also excelled in the world of academia. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry and a master’s degree in environmental engineering while at USC. Besides being a decorated athlete, mother, and wife, she is a Licensed Civil Engineer, currently with the city of Los Angeles working in the Bureau of Engineering.
She can't exactly recount when she began swimming with the FAST Masters team, but it was during the tenure of coach Kyle Knoff. When asked, “Is it hard to get up for Masters?” the immediate answer is a quick and definite, “NO!” She attributes the continued swimming with Masters as a benefit for her health -- she thinks better and has more energy. She enjoys her people in the pool, such as Matt, Heather, Brad, and Angie, to list a few! The interesting thing about swimming for Lyndsay is she never ever wears equipment in the workouts! (Is that true)?
Lyndsay recounts that she "swam pregnant with my daughter Eva and I am currently swimming pregnant" (due in April). My husband has noticed how I benefit from swimming in terms of my focus, mood, etc. But I attribute the easy birth and recovery to the consistent swimming during my last pregnancy." So, Lyndsay holds some valuable advice for future Moms! Take note!
Some interesting things about Lyndsay:
1) She played in a coed recreational softball league for about 10 years (2012-2022). She says she met her husband David while they were playing softball. She says, “I was never any good, (oh sure) but I loved a reason to move my body.”
2) Lyndsay is a former Disneyland Cast Member. She worked at Steakhouse 55 while going to grad school.
3) (Most Important) Lyndsay's best thing in her life is definitely her family! She hopes someday far off in the future to become a grandmother and have her kids live close by.
Thank YOU Lyndsay for a great interview! I hope Masters swimmers, if you don't already know this neat/interesting lady, will find her by introducing yourself or seeing through your goggles a pregnant woman flash by you in the next lane…Yep, that is Lyndsay Naish in THAT LANE!
