Profiling Rorie Anderson

Rorie Anderson grew up in Cocoa, Fla., and learned to swim the Norman Rockwell way. In a lake behind her house with her big brothers for teachers. She continued to swim in high school, specializing in the 200 freestyle. Rorie did not swim competitively again until 1992 when she discovered Judy Bonning and Mission Bay with a great bunch of people training there.

Rorie says she did not receive really good coaching on her high school team, but she has made up for it since. In addition to Judy's excellent coaching, Rorie has also attended swim camps in the Cayman Islands, Colorado Springs, and Nassau. She attended her first national championship at Cupertino in 1996. Swimming was becoming more and more important and by now was and still is a way of life for her. Rorie works as a dental hygienist and credits a long time patient of hers, Carl House with getting her started with USMS.

She says her greatest swimming thrill is competing against her daughter, Sasha, at the annual SCM meet in Orlando every October. Rorie's son took after his dad, playing football, and now serves in the US Navy in Norfolk, Va. Rorie met her husband Joel Burns at short course nationals in Federal Way in 1997. Joel says he was sent there by Jim Lilley to recruit women for a workout group that was forming at the Swimming Hall of Fame. Everyone is thrilled at Captain Speed Swimming that he brought Rorie back to swim with us.

They live in a jungle alcove in Fort Lauderdale in as close to Tarzan style as you can imagine. Rorie currently serves as Secretary of Florida Gold Coast Masters. She is a dedicated open water swimmer and has won her age group in ocean mile swims in both 1999 and 2000. Rorie and Joel both train with the Captain Speed Swimming group at the Hall of Fame Pool in Ft. Lauderdale. Rorie says "We both have a world of thanks for Jim Lilley, Debbie Cavanaugh, Cav Cavanaugh, Tim Sheridan and all the rest the people who make it so much fun."