FITNESS PROFILE | SUZI SWARTMAN
Rally back
By Mike Leidemann
Advertiser Staff Writer
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Suzi Swartman of Kailua was inducted into the United States Tennis Association Hall of Fame last week. Not bad for someone who didn't even pick up a racquet until she was 32 and didn't start playing competitively for a few more years.
At first, tennis was just something she and her daughter could do together, Swartman said. Growing up on O'ahu, Kaua'i and Maui, she wasn't particularly athletic. "There were no organized sports in school, just the usual P.E. classes," she said.
Once the tennis bug took hold, she ran with it. First, it was playing tournaments locally, then nationally and internationally. Eventually, she won five national age-group titles between the ages of 40 and 55 and earned 14 of the USTA's coveted "gold ball" titles. At one point, she was rated 16th in the world among women her age.
A back injury 10 years ago ended her competitive career but not her tennis. With the help of a regular stretching and strength program, she continues to play and teach tennis nearly every day of the year.
"Whenever you play, you aim to win. It's social tennis now but still on a really high level," she said.
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SUZI SWARTMAN Age: 65 Height: 5-feet-8 Weight: 142 pounds Workout habits: Daily 20-minute stretch program set up by Pat Ariki, my physical therapist. In addition, a 20-minute strengthening routine every other day. These are done between 5 and 6 a.m. while I watch the morning news. I also play tennis each weekday morning for at least an hour. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, I teach in the morning after playing tennis. On Saturdays and Sundays, I have classes from 6:45 a.m. until noon or 1 p.m. I also ride a stationary bicycle whenever the mood strikes me. I love mowing the lawn and working in my yard. When and why I started working out: I began working out when I started playing competitive tennis at age 35. Working out at this point was basically just hitting balls with my tennis pro, running and playing matches. At 58, I developed a back injury, spinal stenosis, and opted to try fitness in lieu of surgery to relieve the pain. Whenever I get careless about my workout program, the slight twinge of pain in my back puts me into my disciplined program. My good foods/bad foods: I eat pretty healthy. Boring, but healthy. Oatmeal in the morning, either cold or hot with fat-free milk. Lots of salads, fish and chicken. I love a New York steak every so often. Use turkey instead of ground beef for spaghetti, lasagna, etc. I like local fruit (lychee, watermelon, mango) more than Mainland fruit. Not much coffee, maybe one cup a day, regular, not decaf with fat-free half-and-half. I love Ha¬agen-Dazs peanut-butter-and-chocolate ice cream and Godiva chocolate. If I eat junk food, it has to be good. I will go to a fast-food joint and have a quarter-pounder or chicken sandwich with fries every once in a while. My biggest motivator: Preventing back pain. It's so debilitating. What saves my sanity: My grandkids, Keahi and Hali'a on O'ahu and Kaleokoa and Hailama on Kaua'i, the rascals in my life. Talk about fitness: running after them is it. My next challenge: I have become a lauhala weaver. I make lauhala hats. I collect and gather my own lau, clean and soften them with my kumu, Gladys Grace. Being the best I can at this is my current challenge. Advice for those in the same boat: Enjoy life. Love whatever your passion is and pursue it.
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Reach Mike Leidemann at mleidemann@honoluluadvertiser.com.
