It was a great 5 days in Mission Viejo for the 2013 United States Masters Swimming summer nationals. A boat load of records were broken, friendships reignited and a frenzy of fun in the sun. It truly was emblematic of the good in our sport. Here’s a behind the scenes video from SwimSwam contributor Mike Lewis of Ola Vista Photography who chronicled the event for USMS and Swimmer Magazine:

There’s so much that can be said about this year’s USMS summer nationals but it’s hard to put into words the inspiration, fun and truly admirable accomplishments in the water – there were times posted by 30, 40 and 50 somethings that would stand up in a USA swimming senior meet. There were people competing for the first time ever. There were stories of survival and recovery brought about through swimming.

Check out USMS daily recaps from the meet to continue to relive the fun.

USMS is a national membership-operated nonprofit organization that provides membership benefits to nearly 60,000 Masters swimmers across the country. These benefits include insurance, SWIMMER magazine, sanctioned events, and many others. USMS and its 52 Local Masters Swimming Committees (LMSCs) provide direct support to more than 1,500 smaller clubs and workout groups. Structure and organization of USMS programs vary and are driven by factors such as pool availability, instructor or coach availability, community support, and finances. The majority of locations offering USMS programs have coaches on deck. Coaches write workouts and provide feedback and instruction. (source: usms.org)