Featured MAC Swimmer of the Month:
 Clisty Kinlin
Hi MAC! I am Clisty Kinlin. I am a 47-year-old, proud mom of Max, my 16-year-old junior in high school and an unruly cat named Jasper. I am a Registered Dietitian and the Program Manager at St. Joes Center for Diabetes and Nutrition Services. I grew up riding my bike, before I got a car. I have a great love of backpacking and hiking. I have been fortunate enough to hike the Chilkoot Trail in Alaska, and the Inca Trail in Peru. When it comes to swimming, I grew up around water, but I never learned how swim past treading water and the dog paddle. When you think about the month of April being “Adult Learn-to-Swim month,” that would be me!
My swimming journey began about 8 years ago. April Maunu, my best friend since we were 5 years old, thought it would be a great idea if we signed up to do a triathlon. The thought of it sent me into sheer panic. I was confident I could bike 12 miles and I could probably walk/run 3 miles. But I was not sure at all that I would survive the 400-meter swim. Luckily, April found out about MAC through another club that she was involved in. I thought it was a smart idea to learn how to at least survive the swim part of this triathlon.
 I will never forget the first time I walked into Milford pool. I don’t think I have ever been so intimidated in all my life. Suzanne didn’t hesitate to welcome me and April to the pool. After I told her that I signed up for a tri and needed help swimming, she said “Great! Let’s get started!!” and that’s when I almost threw up. She asked what my experience was, and I said I can dog paddle. I’m pretty sure she thought I was kidding. I wasn’t.
I got in the pool and proceeded to dog paddle across lane 1. It took me about 5 minutes, and all the while I was thinking: 1) I hope no one is paying any attention to me because this is mortifying and 2) Suzanne is going to tell me that there is no hope for me, and I probably should stick to dryland activities. She didn’t tell me any of that. In fact, she seemed rather excited for the challenge of turning me into a swimmer. As I was working on drills that night, I remember watching the rest of the swimmers (who were all as fast as Michael Phelps, as far as I was concerned) was… well, I still don’t have words for how that felt. I wanted to get out of the pool and never come back. But I did come back. I will always be grateful to Suzanne for her encouragement and her sheer tenacity in teaching me how to swim.
When we started swimming in open water that year, us new kids had swim buddies. Terra Bulloch was my swim buddy. I can’t imagine how terrifying that must have been for her, trying to make sure I didn’t drown while swimming across spring mill pond (Sorry, and thank you, Terra!).
 I finished that triathlon. I did the 400-meter swim in 15:09. That time had no meaning to me. And I didn’t care about the rest of the triathlon; I was just amazed I finished the swim. And I kept coming back. I learned how to swim all four strokes. I started signing up for swim meets. And state meets! And then Swim to the Moon came around. I signed up for the mile swim. Certain I was going to drown again, Suzanne said I was ready for it and promised she would swim with me. She did. For the whole hour it took me to swim that mile, she stayed with me. When I finished, everyone from MAC that was there was cheering me on. For the first time ever, I felt like I could call myself a swimmer.
The following year, I swam the 5k and Elizabeth Schmaltz was my swim angel. In 2015, I swam the 5k again, with Brad Eastridge and Jim Young. We called ourselves The Three Swimigos. Those are memories that I will cherish forever (miss you, Sunshine!).
MAC has changed a lot since I first joined. I have been able to learn something new from each of the coaches, even though they all seem to be telling me the same things. It’s only taken 8 years, but I think those things are starting to make sense and my body is starting to actually DO them. At least my times are a little better than that first 5 minute 50-yard dog paddle.
Physically, MAC has pushed me to do things I never thought my body could do. Since then, I’ve done several triathlons, ran a couple of half-marathons, meets, state meets, and I’ve even swam at a couple of national swim meets. Of all the medals I have gotten since the beginning, I am still most proud of my first STTM. Never, in my life did I ever think I could swim, let alone swim for a mile. I truly felt over the moon, for weeks.
More than that, I have met some amazing people that will live in my heart, always. I have made some close friends that I know I will have for the rest of my life. MAC has seen me through some wonderful times, and through some very difficult times. I am thankful every day for our coaches, and this team. I am proud to be MAC Strong. #BAN
MAC Swimmers are the greatest advertisements of all! We love how you share your stories on social media, with friends, etc. We would like to share your stories as well. Each month we will highlight a MAC Swimmer so we can learn more about the team. |
In a combined effort – the MAC and Penguin coaches are working on the 1st Annual Irene Pawley-Kennedy Open Water Swim. Not only will this event be a memorial swim, it will be a non-profit swim where all proceeds will be used for swim scholarships for swimmers of any age. The open water event will be held at Pontiac Lake Recreation Area – State Park. There will be 3 distances: 5K, 2K, and 1K.
Swim to the Moon 2021
As a USMS member, you are also a member of Michigan Masters Swimming. Michigan Masters offers an annual scholarship.The purpose of this annual $1,000 scholarship is to provide financial assistance to eligible Michigan Masters swimmers and family members who are attending college as undergraduate or graduate students. Consideration for this scholarship is given to those students attending full or part-time undergraduate or graduate programs in day or night school, with at least a 3.0 GPA who demonstrate potential for outstanding success in their respective field of study. Financial hardship and need may also be a criteria for this scholarship. Entries for this year’s award should be submitted by June 30,
