March 20, 2025

90-Year-Old Tech Whiz Who Tracks His Swims With Smart Goggles, EP 274

90-Year-Old Tech Whiz Who Tracks His Swims With Smart Goggles, EP 274

Cal Beattie defies expectations at every turn. At 90 years old, he's not just surviving—he's thriving as a competitive Masters swimmer who only started racing four years ago and trains alone in a small town in Virginia. He swims unattached with no team members and is amazingly disciplined. His journey from recreational swimmer to competitive athlete began after his wife passed away, when swimming became his solace and strength.

What makes Cal's story remarkable isn't just his age, but his approach to training and technology. Despite being born before World War II, Cal uses Form smart goggles to track his performance data with precision that would impress swimmers half his age. His methodical training regimen consists of swimming every other day, always timing his 400-yard freestyle and analyzing the results afterward on his smartphone. "I'm a one-act pony," he admits with characteristic humility, but this singular focus has yielded extraordinary results.

Cal Beattie shares his incredible journey as a 90-year-old Masters swimmer who only started competing four years ago after discovering he ranked fourth nationally in his age group while swimming recreationally after his wife's passing.

• High school swim team co-captain in 1953, swimming 19.2 seconds for 20 yards freestyle
• Swims every other day, focusing on a timed 400-yard freestyle using Form smart goggles that track his performance data
• Eliminated his atrial fibrillation through swimming after doctors wouldn't give clear guidance about exercise
• Maintains a heart rate of 134-150 during swimming and a resting heart rate of 58
• Credits exercise, diet, and 8 hours of sleep as his secrets to longevity
• Follows a disciplined nutrition regimen including a breakfast of grapes, flaxseed, lemon juice, olive oil, and baby spinach

Perhaps most inspiring is Cal's health transformation through swimming. Twenty years ago, he was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation and put on blood thinners. When doctors wouldn't give him clear guidance about exercising, Cal made his own decision to start swimming regularly. The result? "After a year and a half, I went to the doctor. He said you no longer have AFib." Two decades later, his resting heart rate is an impressive 58 beats per minute—a testament to swimming's cardiovascular benefits at any age.

Cal's disciplined approach extends beyond the pool. His meticulously consistent diet includes a daily breakfast of grapes, flaxseed, lemon juice, olive oil, and baby spinach. He prioritizes eight hours of sleep, recognizing its direct impact on his swimming performance. "When I get a good sleep, then I go to the pool and I usually get a much better outcome," he explains. These habits form the foundation of his longevity strategy, which he succinctly summarizes as "exercise, diet, and lots of sleep."

Ready to be inspired by Cal's remarkable journey? Listen now and discover what's possible when you commit to showing up, regardless of your age. Whether you're a Masters swimmer yourself or simply curious about extending your prime years, Cal's story will change how you think about aging and athletic performance.

Email us at HELLO@ChampionsMojo.com. Opinions discussed are not medical advice, please seek a medical professional for your own health concerns.

Chapters

00:00 - Meet Cal Beattie: 90-Year-Old Masters Swimmer

03:39 - Early Swimming Career and College Years

05:44 - Current Training Routine and Form Goggles

09:26 - Swimming Away AFib and Heart Health

13:09 - Support System and Swimming Goals

15:20 - Nutrition, Sleep and Longevity Secrets

Transcript
WEBVTT

00:00:02.407 --> 00:00:04.030
Welcome to Champions Mojo.

00:00:04.030 --> 00:00:12.154
Join us for conversations that inspire and empower you as an adult athlete, fitness enthusiast or master swimmer.

00:00:12.154 --> 00:00:22.454
Our goal is to make each episode insightful and inspirational and to discover what it takes to build or keep a life of personal excellence.

00:00:22.454 --> 00:00:27.652
I'm your host, kelly Pallas, and we're here to champion you.

00:00:27.652 --> 00:00:33.869
I'm doing an on-deck interview with Cal Beattie.

00:00:33.869 --> 00:00:47.395
He's 90 years old and we are just having a snack in the hospitality during the Virginia Short Course State Championships for Masters and, I course, state championships for masters and I love your shirt that says show up age up, swim masters.

00:00:47.395 --> 00:00:56.442
Cal, you did this meet last year and this year you're swimming three events and tell us what you're feeling now that you're 90.

00:00:57.343 --> 00:00:58.503
I feel wonderful.

00:00:58.503 --> 00:01:00.225
I mean I keep on swimming.

00:01:00.225 --> 00:01:08.153
I started actually swimming every other day after my lady passed away.

00:01:08.153 --> 00:01:19.334
My wife and I was swimming then every other day and then about four years ago somebody at the YMC asked me if I knew anything about master swimming.

00:01:19.334 --> 00:01:30.471
I said no, but I've been timing myself from the 500 while I was working out so I knew what my time was for 500.

00:01:30.471 --> 00:01:39.015
So I went to the internet and I said let me see the top 10 swimmers in my age group and what their time is.

00:01:39.015 --> 00:01:40.602
I said lo and behold, I was coming in fourth.

00:01:40.602 --> 00:01:50.094
I said lo and behold, I was coming in fourth and I thought the word master meant that it was a pretty fast group, you know.

00:01:50.094 --> 00:02:04.025
And it turned out that I went to several of these meets over the last four years and in my age group I usually come in first because nobody else shows.

00:02:04.046 --> 00:02:06.147
I usually come in first because nobody else shows Well.

00:02:06.147 --> 00:02:13.775
So prior to four years ago, when you started into your master's career, were you swimming?

00:02:13.775 --> 00:02:14.656
Were you an athlete?

00:02:14.656 --> 00:02:15.997
Did you swim in high school?

00:02:15.997 --> 00:02:17.520
Did?

00:02:17.961 --> 00:02:18.701
you have any background?

00:02:18.701 --> 00:02:24.127
Yeah, I was a co-captain on my high school team in Pontiac Michigan.

00:02:24.127 --> 00:02:32.096
I was the best freestyler there, but that was many, many years ago.

00:02:32.096 --> 00:02:38.063
I didn't improve.

00:02:38.063 --> 00:02:45.192
With the muscle strength that you lose over time, Then you lose the good times.

00:02:45.192 --> 00:02:46.947
It was interesting.

00:02:46.947 --> 00:02:49.748
Our pool was a kind of unusual pool.

00:02:49.748 --> 00:02:57.151
It was a 20-yard pool and in 40, we had a 40 instead of a 50.

00:02:57.151 --> 00:03:02.024
And in the 40, I was swimming 19.2 seconds.

00:03:02.024 --> 00:03:04.425
I was swimming 19.2 seconds.

00:03:04.425 --> 00:03:07.207
So how that equates?

00:03:07.207 --> 00:03:16.717
Possibly, if I was swimming a 50, then that might equate to about a 23, something along those lines.

00:03:16.717 --> 00:03:21.876
And that was back in 1953.

00:03:22.217 --> 00:03:22.539
Very nice.

00:03:22.539 --> 00:03:24.201
So did you stay in shape?

00:03:24.201 --> 00:03:26.890
You look pretty lean and pretty fit now at 90.

00:03:26.890 --> 00:03:31.599
During the time that you weren't a swimmer, did you stay in shape and do any other sports?

00:03:31.599 --> 00:03:38.772
Or did you have a career or a family, or what did you spend six decades doing before you came to master swimming?

00:03:39.740 --> 00:03:45.633
Well, I came out of high school and went to a college in Michigan called Olivet College.

00:03:45.633 --> 00:03:47.105
They had no pool.

00:03:47.105 --> 00:03:57.090
So the cross-country coach talked to me and said why don't you go ahead and try this cross-country?

00:03:57.090 --> 00:04:10.491
And he said well, follow this gentleman here who's got a scholarship to Olivet for cross country and just follow him around the five mile course.

00:04:10.491 --> 00:04:14.950
And I remember I had these shoes.

00:04:14.950 --> 00:04:31.540
I didn't have any track shoes, but I had some big old fat kids they called them with some thick soles, and so I followed him along and I got to four miles and then he sprinted the last mile.

00:04:31.540 --> 00:04:39.555
I went the whole five miles without ever having to run at all in high school or anything.

00:04:39.555 --> 00:04:44.862
So then once I got in shape, then I did pass him.

00:04:44.862 --> 00:04:46.324
It was quite interesting.

00:04:47.865 --> 00:04:53.168
Oh, that's great, and it looks like you're registered for an unattached team.

00:04:53.168 --> 00:04:57.331
Do you still swim alone, or do you have teammates, or what is your training like?

00:04:57.831 --> 00:04:58.572
any scheduling.

00:04:58.572 --> 00:05:27.466
So that fits me very, very well Usually go to the pool, maybe around 10 in the morning, swim warm up and then I time myself on a 400 every time I go to the pool, and that's every other day.

00:05:27.466 --> 00:05:37.485
So I try to get a better time each time that I go to the pool, but it doesn't work that way, you know.

00:05:38.447 --> 00:05:43.538
So you're swimming every other day, and about how much yardage are you doing?

00:05:43.964 --> 00:05:44.565
Not much.

00:05:44.565 --> 00:05:55.221
I warm up and then I do 16 lengths, which is 400 yards, and I have these goggles that have a computer in them.

00:05:55.221 --> 00:06:05.240
They're called form goggles and I wear them every time and they sync all of my data to my cell phone.

00:06:05.240 --> 00:06:11.370
So when I come out I can compare that I've had these goggles for five years.

00:06:11.370 --> 00:06:31.620
I've got a dramatic amount of data and it projects to my right lens when I swim one length and it tells me right now what it was and all kinds of interesting data that the swim gives the computer.

00:06:32.526 --> 00:06:34.093
Yeah, I love form goggles.

00:06:34.093 --> 00:06:35.451
I own a pair of form goggles.

00:06:35.451 --> 00:06:37.894
They do give you incredible data.

00:06:37.894 --> 00:06:46.894
I am blown away that a 90-year-old, technologically, is using form goggles, which a lot of people just find even too difficult.

00:06:46.894 --> 00:06:52.937
So you actually take your goggles, connect them to your Bluetooth, upload the data.

00:06:52.937 --> 00:06:54.853
How do you look at the data?

00:06:55.644 --> 00:07:11.838
I'll tell you, it's quite interesting my last swim, my 400 swim, I'd been doing the 12 minutes and then I was doing 11, kind of constant, about a 12 minute and 25 seconds.

00:07:11.838 --> 00:07:17.367
I'm sorry, 11 minutes and 25 seconds.

00:07:17.367 --> 00:07:24.312
Then the last one I did, I did 11.07, which was my was my best time.

00:07:24.312 --> 00:07:37.742
Prior to that it was 1105.

00:07:37.742 --> 00:07:43.778
And I was really thrilled with the last time at 1107.

00:07:44.824 --> 00:07:54.036
Do you ever research how to get faster or what other sets you might do, or are you just really sold on this approach to year 400?

00:07:55.187 --> 00:08:05.355
I'd say I'm a one-act pony, I guess, because I just do the same thing every time and hope that I get a better time, you know.

00:08:07.028 --> 00:08:10.651
Okay, we got to talk after this because I think I can give you a set.

00:08:10.651 --> 00:08:12.314
That might be good.

00:08:12.314 --> 00:08:13.237
That'll speed you up.

00:08:13.237 --> 00:08:20.038
What I would recommend is doing 550s at a faster pace than you're holding.

00:08:20.038 --> 00:08:22.310
So if you're, do you know what your 50s are?

00:08:22.310 --> 00:08:24.137
For your 11 minute 400?

00:08:24.137 --> 00:08:24.137
.

00:08:25.105 --> 00:08:26.713
No, I can't remember what that is.

00:08:26.713 --> 00:08:32.355
I think I do about 41 seconds for a 25.

00:08:32.515 --> 00:08:33.136
Yeah, yeah, okay.

00:08:33.136 --> 00:08:33.999
So that's what I was going to say.

00:08:33.999 --> 00:08:40.019
So if you're doing a minute, 20-ish, 50s per, so, that's 240 per 100.

00:08:40.019 --> 00:08:55.738
And then if you multiply that, so what would make you faster, and also make you have endurance as well, is to do 550s with two minutes rest and hold way faster than 120s for that 50.

00:08:55.738 --> 00:09:10.599
So if you did 550s with two minutes rest in between each one and you held 110s instead of 120s, your body would adapt to that pace over time and you would break 11 minutes for your 400 free.

00:09:11.504 --> 00:09:13.953
All right, I could give that a shot.

00:09:14.885 --> 00:09:18.937
I think that that might be something you want to add, maybe once a week.

00:09:19.946 --> 00:09:27.124
Okay, I will give that a shot, but I forgot to tell you about 20 years ago I had AFib.

00:09:27.124 --> 00:09:31.666
I went to the doctor and he says you have a poor heart rate.

00:09:31.666 --> 00:09:38.308
So they put me on Warfam, a blood thinner, and I was on that blood thinner.

00:09:38.308 --> 00:09:43.910
But when I went to the doctor I asked him can I exercise?

00:09:43.910 --> 00:09:52.033
I went to my heart doctor and I went to my regular doctor and they would not give me a straight answer.

00:09:52.033 --> 00:09:54.914
So I said, well, I'm going to just start swimming.

00:09:54.914 --> 00:10:01.797
So 20 years ago and after a year and a half I went to the doctor.

00:10:01.797 --> 00:10:05.317
He said you no longer have AFib.

00:10:05.317 --> 00:10:12.201
So that meant that I swam myself out of AFib and I haven't had.

00:10:12.201 --> 00:10:19.884
And I have my check, you know, once a year, sometimes twice a year, and I still do not have AFib.

00:10:28.884 --> 00:10:30.913
Exercise is such a great tonic for so many things that we humans get so your heart rate.

00:10:30.913 --> 00:10:33.304
Then, when you're swimming, like you've got two more races, so we probably should let you get going here.

00:10:33.304 --> 00:10:39.899
But when you're swimming, even in practice or in a meet, how much are you pushing yourself?

00:10:40.705 --> 00:10:56.905
Well, I try to push myself, but my foam goggles give me a reading reading, and most of the time.

00:10:56.905 --> 00:11:01.374
An average reading of heart rate is 134, and a high heart rate is 145 to 150, and that's pretty constant.

00:11:02.215 --> 00:11:05.019
That is a very high heart rate for 90 years old.

00:11:05.019 --> 00:11:09.772
So 220 minus your age is supposed to be your max heart rate.

00:11:09.772 --> 00:11:10.452
Did you know that?

00:11:10.754 --> 00:11:14.899
Yeah, it's supposed to be high, maybe around 130.

00:11:15.605 --> 00:11:17.691
Yeah, so that's beautiful.

00:11:17.691 --> 00:11:20.076
Do you know what your resting heart rate is?

00:11:21.206 --> 00:11:32.000
I take my blood pressure every morning and this morning my average for the 30 days my heart rate is 58.

00:11:32.000 --> 00:11:32.644
58.

00:11:32.644 --> 00:11:45.528
Wow, that's so nice and low.

00:11:45.528 --> 00:11:52.330
Now, besides swimming, do you do any weightlifting or sit-ups or stretching or yoga?

00:11:52.330 --> 00:12:00.351
And then I do stretching and planks and push-offs off the wall.

00:12:00.351 --> 00:12:03.852
Yeah, and some several other things you know.

00:12:04.493 --> 00:12:05.633
Are you doing a full plank?

00:12:06.572 --> 00:12:09.514
I'm not sure I understand what a plank is.

00:12:10.293 --> 00:12:15.655
Okay, like a plank, you're saying, you're saying Push-off holding, yeah, yeah, where you hold yourself up.

00:12:15.735 --> 00:12:19.657
Okay well, no, I don't do that, I just do the push-off at the wall.

00:12:20.057 --> 00:12:20.976
Oh, gotcha Okay.

00:12:20.976 --> 00:12:24.197
So what about your support system?

00:12:24.197 --> 00:12:27.479
You swim alone, but do you have family or friends around?

00:12:28.318 --> 00:12:37.600
No, my daughter is in Texas and then my sister is in Michigan, so I haven't seen them.

00:12:37.600 --> 00:12:39.042
I did go to a meet.

00:12:39.042 --> 00:12:53.769
It was a national meet up in Ohio when my sister I saw her after 18 years and I went from Ohio to.

00:12:53.769 --> 00:12:58.030
She lives up in Michigan so I traveled up there and we had a nice little get together.

00:12:58.030 --> 00:13:04.631
It was during AFib, though you know we were far apart most of the time.

00:13:05.072 --> 00:13:06.755
Right, right, you mean during COVID?

00:13:07.157 --> 00:13:07.418
Yes.

00:13:07.979 --> 00:13:08.219
Yes.

00:13:08.219 --> 00:13:13.977
So if you're 90 now, what kind of goals do you have for your swimming for the future?

00:13:14.504 --> 00:13:16.072
Looks like a century to me.

00:13:16.855 --> 00:13:22.836
That's great, and other than breaking 11 minutes in your 400 free during practice, that would be sweet.

00:13:22.836 --> 00:13:25.686
How about your 500 free today in the meet?

00:13:25.686 --> 00:13:26.687
What's your goal for that?

00:13:27.549 --> 00:13:30.196
Well, it won't be a 500.

00:13:30.196 --> 00:13:30.956
It'll be a 200.

00:13:31.118 --> 00:13:32.466
Oh, I'm sorry You're doing the 200.

00:13:32.466 --> 00:13:32.807
That's right.

00:13:32.807 --> 00:13:34.370
What's your goal for your 200 free?

00:13:34.711 --> 00:13:36.153
Well, I'll tell you the very truth.

00:13:36.153 --> 00:13:45.958
Whatever it is it is, I try to go as fast as I can, pull as hard as I can and see what the outcome is.

00:13:46.686 --> 00:13:49.500
Now, I haven't had the good fortune of seeing you swim yet.

00:13:49.500 --> 00:13:50.544
I will watch you today.

00:13:50.544 --> 00:13:51.890
Do you do flip turns?

00:13:52.705 --> 00:13:54.932
No, I don't do flip turns.

00:13:55.504 --> 00:13:59.537
Do you know or have you heard of the swimmer Charlotte Sandahl?

00:13:59.537 --> 00:14:09.817
She's 100 and she did the 500 free at senior games a couple of years ago and she did all flip turns and her 500 free at the age of 100.

00:14:10.586 --> 00:14:13.210
That is wonderful, that is amazing.

00:14:13.932 --> 00:14:17.195
Yeah, any desire to learn to do flip turns?

00:14:17.585 --> 00:14:24.538
Well, I've tried, I don't know on a couple of occasions, but I can't seem to get my position right.

00:14:24.538 --> 00:14:31.470
You know, and with a grab turn you absolutely can put your feet on the wall, that's for sure.

00:14:32.105 --> 00:14:35.254
Yeah, and you get some good air as well, which is always nice.

00:14:35.254 --> 00:14:40.784
What do you think your secret to longevity and health are?

00:14:41.787 --> 00:14:46.553
Exercise, diet and lots of sleep.

00:14:46.553 --> 00:14:50.879
Now I'm really counting on my sleep lately.

00:14:50.879 --> 00:14:56.613
I want to get definitely an eight-hour sleep and that I can tell.

00:14:56.613 --> 00:15:02.528
When I get a good sleep, then I go to the pool and I usually get a much better outcome.

00:15:03.551 --> 00:15:10.625
Yeah, and I heard you say you love frozen blueberries and what other healthy eating do you do?

00:15:11.547 --> 00:15:12.346
Well, I eat breakfast.

00:15:12.346 --> 00:15:13.967
I eat 15 grapes breakfast.

00:15:13.967 --> 00:15:40.763
I eat 15 grapes flax seed, a cup of water, two tablespoons of lemon juice and olive oil, one tablespoon of that and then I heat that up and I put the baby spinach on top of that and that is my breakfast every morning.

00:15:48.774 --> 00:15:50.844
And then I try to stay away from those foods that are packaged in.

00:15:50.844 --> 00:15:56.476
Can you eat all of that together, the 15 grapes and the lemon juice and the olive oil and the baby spinach and flaxseed, every morning?

00:15:56.806 --> 00:16:04.355
No, I don't heat it all together, I heat it in parts, and I do put a package of ready-made grits.

00:16:04.355 --> 00:16:07.333
I put that in as a kind of a body.

00:16:07.333 --> 00:16:19.197
I heat that up, then I put the grapes in and the baby spinach, and I've been doing that for, I guess, about four or five years.

00:16:20.345 --> 00:16:20.645
Wow.

00:16:20.645 --> 00:16:33.258
So that is very healthy and overall, do you feel like you're always that disciplined Because that's so disciplined to eat like that, Like what in your life gave you such discipline?

00:16:34.385 --> 00:17:02.059
I'll tell you that, since I live alone and I can choose my time and then my diet, and I get used to the habits and the simplicity of the food that I eat because I don't spend a lot of time cooking Since my wife passed away, I've never opened the oven, but me and my microwave are really good friends.

00:17:02.059 --> 00:17:03.831
Do you eat meat?

00:17:03.831 --> 00:17:05.770
I do eat chicken.

00:17:05.770 --> 00:17:19.892
Yes, Now what I've been doing is I'll cook chickens from Walmart and I pull the meat off from there and I get two or three of those for the next day.

00:17:19.892 --> 00:17:22.811
That'll be my lunch or my dinner.

00:17:23.914 --> 00:17:24.375
Very good.

00:17:24.375 --> 00:17:32.856
Well, I really appreciate you spending this time with us, and is there anything I haven't asked you that you want to share with our listeners?

00:17:33.806 --> 00:17:36.414
No, I don't think I have anything at this moment.

00:17:36.414 --> 00:17:38.913
I think you've covered it pretty nicely.

00:17:39.664 --> 00:17:43.555
Well, thank you so much, Cal, and good luck in the rest of your meet today.

00:17:44.076 --> 00:17:44.817
Thank you much.

00:17:46.786 --> 00:17:49.796
Thank you for listening to the Champions Mojo podcast.

00:17:49.796 --> 00:17:51.111
Did you enjoy the show?

00:17:51.111 --> 00:17:57.951
We'd be grateful if you would leave us a five-star review on iTunes to help others find us, and we'd also love to hear from you.

00:17:57.951 --> 00:18:02.515
We're on all social media platforms or you can reach us at championsmojocom.