Two Lebanon County men stay active in their 90s by swimming at Cedar Crest

Wilbur R. Sanger, 95, and Warren G. Keller, 92, drive to Cedar Crest High School multiple times a week to swim laps in the indoor pool.

Sanger has swum regularly for 35 years now and invited Keller along for his ritual almost a decade ago.

Sanger said he’s done about 6,000 miles of swimming in his decades of visiting the high school. He’s now using a floatboard, snorkel, and flippers to help. Keller, he said, beats him to the end of the pool each time by using just his flippers and arms, which he called “four-wheel drive.”

For both men, their swimming journeys started fairly young. Sanger said he learned to swim at around 6 years old in Snitz Creek, but didn’t get into lap swimming until he hit 60 years old.

Keller said he also relied on the local Lebanon County waterways to learn.

“I grew up in North Annville at Waterworks, and the dam was there, and that was my playground,” he said. “When you grow up like that, it’s sort of inside you.”

Keller joined Sanger on his almost-daily lap ritual after Keller’s wife passed away in 2016. Swimming was an opportunity for him to get out of the house and around people while also staying in shape.

“It just sort of grew on us, and the camaraderie that we always get,” Sanger said. “I used to swim, always do one mile every time I swam. We swim a little, and we talk a little, and we swim a little more.”

Exercising in water can be a good way for older adults to continue working out. The buoyancy of the water puts less pressure on joints while still improving cardiovascular and muscle health.

Sanger said he’s had his knees replaced, has a bad shoulder now, and functions with a pacemaker, but he’s still at the high school five or six days a week to enjoy the pool.

Keller said he’s had to figure out what activities his body is comfortable doing as he ages.

“As you get older, you slow up, and you do what’s most comfortable for you,” Keller said. “Having the initiative to do it is the main thing. A lot of people just sit around and watch television — not so good.”

Swimming isn’t just about staying in shape for these two men — it’s also a chance for them to socialize with their community.

They said other people in the Cornwall-Lebanon School District come to the pool to swim. Sanger and Keller said they regularly chat with these folks around the pool and gave a rundown on a few of these regulars, their families, and their careers.

“Socializing is something to keep your age,” Keller said. “Life is more interesting socializing, and you’ve got to be a friend to have friends.”

With the upcoming Cedar Crest High School renovations, the pool will be closed while construction crews work. The two men said they’re looking for a new pool to frequent for the summer, but they plan to be back as soon as they’re able to.

The pool’s availability can be found online. The district website states it is “available to district residents for lap and recreation open swims when not in use by school groups.”

It costs $7 per adult swimmer, $5 per student swimmer, $15 per family of one or two adults and up to four children. Seniors over 65 can get a Gold Card with ID or district residency proof and swim for free. Preschoolers and CLSD employees can swim for free. The district also offers pool passes for frequent swimmers.