FAST MASTERS: WHO'S IN THAT LANE? -- EPISODE 12: MIKE PAWLOSKI

Who’s in That Lane? Mike Pawloski

I was born and raised in Long Beach, CA, and attended Millikan High School, where I played water polo and swam.  Honestly, I liked water polo better and tried hard to avoid swimming—though it was a requirement to play water polo.  After brief attempts in my sophomore and junior years at cross-country and pole vaulting respectively (when basketball and baseball weren’t options), I returned to the pool—a choice I’m grateful for in hindsight.

After high school, I stepped away from swimming for 25 years.  Life took me to North Orange County and eventually to Yorba Linda, where I settled with my wife, Janice, and our daughter, Nicole.  When work started adding pounds and my knees weren’t up for much, I returned to swimming—a sport I could enjoy and share with my daughter, who began swimming at age six.  At the time, our community opened a new pool, and with the help of FAST’s Kevin Perry, I co-founded the East Lake Village Eagle Rays program.  We built youth swim and water polo teams and a Masters team.  Those six years of running the teams were incredibly fulfilling, especially as my daughter swam through high school and college.  Both my daughter and I loved working with our coach, Bill Perry (no relation to Kevin Perry), and I was able to build friendships with current and old FAST teammates like John Westergren, Dr. Fred Jacobson, Dan Skagen, Terry Merlihan, and Tim Buckley.

By 2010, my swimming journey led me to swim at FAST masters.  It was the perfect next step. With outstanding coaching and facilities, FAST has helped me grow as a swimmer over the years.  Coaches like Bill, David, Kyle, Sean, Keith, Paul, Lauren, Head Coach Brian, and more have created a motivating environment where I’ve found both improvement and community.  My favorite stroke is freestyle, and I’ve always loved long pull sets—though these days, I take it easier on my shoulders.  For a few years I tried to swim in somewhat hidden competition with Matt to see who would get to 365 miles in a year—the elusive 1-mile-per-day milestone.  I was able to achieve it for several years, but it has fallen off in recent times with my shoulder decline.  Matt continues his yearly quest. 

Swimming has been a fitness cornerstone, but I’ve also enjoyed competing in some pool events and especially in open-water events.  I might not be the fastest sprinter, but I’ve relied on stamina to perform well in my age groups over the years.  Some of my most memorable swims include El Cruce in Cancun, Mexico (an Ironman-distance, 2.4 miles), and local events like the U.S. Masters National Open Water 2.4-mile swim at Salt Creek, the Tiki 1.2-mile swim in Oceanside, Naples Island 1-mile swim in Long Beach, Pier-to-Pier 2-mile swims like the Balboa Pier to Newport Pier and Dwight Crum Hermosa Pier to Manhattan Pier, the Don Burns 1-mile swim in Corona Del Mar, and my favorite, the Challenged Athletes ½ Ironman relay with a 1.2-mile swim in La Jolla to name a few.                                                                                                                                                  

Outside the pool, I pursued education as a working adult, earning AA, BA, and MBA degrees from Cypress College and CSUF.  My career in IT—particularly in business intelligence at Mitsubishi Motors North America—was fulfilling, allowing me to innovate and create data tools for analysis. Now retired, I enjoy golfing, working out, reading, and, of course, continuing to swim with my Masters friends.

As you might have heard, I am stopping competitive swimming but not because of my age as the fourth oldest guy in the pool (haha), but due to my shoulder injuries.  I’ve truly enjoyed my time with an incredible group of people and feel fortunate to be part of such a supportive and inspiring community.