Profiling Mardie Brown

Marguerite "Mardie" Brown is a nearly 65-year-old probation and parole officer, who lives in Palermo, Maine. She swims for NEM and was ranked first in the country last year in the 60-64, 100 and 200-yard backstroke. She also placed in the 200 free, 500 free, 100 fly, 200 IM and 400 IM. Mardie describes her pre-masters swimming history as "rather short." It consisted of her swimming 400 meters in a telegraphic meet at Mills College to pace another girl. Mardie set too fast a pace and won the race. She first became involved in the Masters program five years ago. "I went to a little meet in Augusta, Maine and found I had the killer instinct, so I joined NEM," she recalls. Mardie reports that she is not working out regularly these days—"just scuba diving and lying in the sun." She intends to return to a serious work program soon.

Moving up to the 65-69 division next April, she plans to go to the 1982 Nationals in Texas. As for her training program when she is working out seriously she likes to do 3,000-4,000 yards a day, five days a week. "My job takes me all over, so I swim in various pools. Usually the lifeguard is also the team coach and will give me a workout. Everyone is different, so I get a lot of variety and a lot of marvelous help. I even get to swim with the Y or high school team sometimes. What great kids they are, too.” She tried doing 5,000 yards a day, but found it too much. "I started falling asleep right in court." Mardie and her husband Don, a retired college professor, live on a farm that has 500 acres of woodland. Mardie busies herself tending vegetable and herb gardens, berry patches, and fruit trees. She enjoys skiing and both of the Browns ride skimobiles in the winter and motorcycles in the summer.

Originally published in Swim-Master, Nov-Dec, 1981.