Camaraderie is the cornerstone for Lebanon-based Masters swimming group

Some members have been swimming most of their lives. Some are in it for the exercise. Some are dipping their toes in the water for the first time.

The three-pronged dynamic is rare in most swim clubs and groups. But for the Lebanon YMCA Vintage Vipers Masters team, it’s the heartbeat. The pulse.

The Vintage Vipers are composed of 25 swimmers, ranging in age from 21 to 77. The group, led by head coach Brad Charles, post three practices each week online. Charles outlines the sessions, and each swimmer, with six lanes reserved at the YMCA, complete the tasks at their own availability.

“It’s an incredibly supportive group,” Charles said. “If somebody’s sick, everybody will use the (group) chat to pray for them. If somebody’s down and out because of a job issue, people will support and give advice. It’s an incredibly neat group of people. … I think the most important part of this is the community of people who share sacrifice and share a passion for the water and enjoy being with each other as a result.”

With different ages and varying skill levels, each member extracts inspiration and life lessons from the person next to them. The water brings them together, but the relationships have become the cornerstone.

The convergence blossomed at last month’s DelVals championships held at Upper Dublin High School — a regional meet that includes assemblies from Delaware, Maryland, and New Jersey. The Lebanon crew placed sixth in a 36-team field.

“It was really our second meet as a team, but the first one where we had a great showing,” team member Claire DeBoer said. “That playful and competitive quality that you might see as a high school athlete, it doesn’t belong only in high school. It feels great to have it at this stage in life and that everybody got kind of equal attention for the swims that they were doing, regardless of their performance.”

DeBoer is Lebanon’s standout swimmer, being ranked in the national top three in two events for the 65-69 age group. Pat Allwein also has national recognition in the 75-79 band.

The pair spearheaded 16 first-place honors for Lebanon at DelVals. The group added four golds in the relay contingents.

“It kind of gives you something to strive for,” Allwein said. “I know I’ll never be as fast as some of them on the team … but it has really motivated me to try and up my swimming.”

Each swimmer has a backstory. Swimmers like DeBoer and Allwein have standing in open-water swimming while others competed collegiately. Lifeguarding and similar roles are mixed into the group.

For those who are new to the craft, they’ve provided the experienced swimmers a breath-of-fresh-air outlook. A focus on competition has shifted to camaraderie.

“The No. 1 thing is not to take it too seriously,” Steve Mancuso said, “because having been a competitive swimmer in my teens, and now I’m in my 70s, I still approach swimming as if it’s a competition all the time. And for some of the newer swimmers, there are some who basically tell me, ‘Two years ago, I couldn’t swim that, essentially. I wasn’t a swimmer, and now I am.’”

The sense of pride and satisfaction is the glue of the Vintage Vipers. While swimming is the main source, the outside-the-water connection has become a haven for every participant.

“The camaraderie is the stuff that gives us purpose in life — those kind of bonds with each other and support for each other,” DeBoer said. “We really are in awe of each other.”

“I couldn’t ask for a better group of people,” Allwein said.