The Midmar Mile took place this weekend and once again it was Benoni’s incredible water baby, Lorna Cochran (91), who stole the show.
The Eddy House, Methodist Homes for the Aged, resident renewed her record for the oldest ever finisher of the race on Saturday, February 7.
With four generations of her family swimming beside her throughout, the nonagenarian, who has now finished 17 events, completed her swim in a time of one hour, 27 minutes and 28 seconds.
“I have to admit, the older you get the harder it gets,” said Cochran when the City Times caught up with her on Monday, February 9.
“I found the water cold this time, but I was fine in the end.
“When I got to the last 200m I began to feel the cold and it was also a bit chilly when I got out, but I recover quite quickly.”
She added that she participated in the same race as the handicapped swimmers on Saturday and was left breathless by their ability to swim.
“They are just the most inspirational people,” she said
When asked if she would take on the Midmar Mile again, Cochran replied: “At this stage I cannot say yay or nay, because at my age you have to wait and see what happens.
“I have been blessed with good health, so, who knows?
“I am also a firm believer that you have to use the talents you have been blessed with to the best of your ability.”
Her achievements have been well documented, with national newspapers and television channels taking a big interest in her Midmar story.
“My phone never stopped ringing and I have been kept pretty busy, so finally I can relax a bit now,” she said.
“At the dam many people came to me and wanted to take photos with me — you feel like a celebrity.”
When questioned about what was running through her mind during her swim she commented: “I just thought, oh well, here I am, for good or for bad, I just have to get on and do it.
“If you get into a panic than you won’t make it.
“The main thing is to relax and stay focused.”
She reserved special praise for the people who do the small jobs and who make things easier for the swimmers.
“Never underestimate the people who carry your bag, drive you to the race or who bring your towel after the swim – those people are extremely important,” she said.
Cochran also has no doubts that her record will one day be broken.
“There are a lot of women in their 70s and older who are trained swimmers and who are very fit,” she said.
“I quite believe that the time will come when someone surpasses my record.”
Overall the swimmer feels proud and grateful about her achievement.
“I have had the most fantastic support from my family, from people with whom I previously played tennis, people here at Eddy House, at church and all over,” she added.
“I thank them all.”
