What’s on Your Mind

Three-term member and past president of the WCAA Board of Trustees Judith Dudman Henderson ’62 regretted bring unable to attend the spring 2019 Board meetings, citing a prior commitment. Judy did not offer a doctor’s excuse, but we thought she had a pretty interesting one and decided to share it with our Bulletin readers. Read her abbreviated but candid note to fellow trustees in Class Notes, page 13.

To challenge ourselves is an important healthy aspect of getting older. That can look like many things: using your mind by reading a book series and discussing with friends or doing sudoku puzzles, exercising the fingers by knitting, or working hard at authentic rehab to help renew the body after cancer, stroke, hip/knee surgery, or a fall. We know these truths! Hard work. Stay engaged with life. We must applaud ourselves. Each decade I like to challenge myself to do something unusual.

I’d like to share my 70s challenge! Just a year ago my son Wade (age 51) invited me to swim in the National YMCA Master’s Swim Meet in Orlando, FL. “Come on, Ma, it’ll be fun and you can add points for the Weston/Wilton YMCA Team.” I scoffed, yet something in the back of my mind thought it just might be fun. In November he brought it up again — only five months away. Why would I even think about such a thing; after all, I’ve never swum competitively before. But, I have spent many hours poolside as a swim mom! At Western, I was a synchronized swimmer! In December, I entered a month of physical therapy on my left shoulder — a little tendonitis — I’m getting older you know!

On January 10th, I garnered the courage to go to the local Y and step into the water. Could I even swim to the end of the 25-yard pool and back? Made it — form didn’t look too bad — but I had no endurance! Then I noticed in the other pool there was a water aerobics class going on. So I decided that the aerobics might build up my core. So four or five days a week, I arrived at the YMCA at 7:30 a.m. and did two aerobics classes plus one hour of freestyle and breast stroke swimming. But, I had to overcome the biggest obstacle — getting into a bathing suit to swim in front of hundreds of people. Vanity, ugh!

By April, Wade had entered me in this annual national meet, which he with his SMU collegiate team mates swim every year. How great it was to see these now successful men again after 30 years! My friends found wondrous ways to wish me luck. One of my book clubs said they would pray for calm and courage. But, my 18-year-old grandson, Jack, had more clarity: “No, Nina, you pray for courage.” Over the course of the four-day event, I would step up to the side of the pool (are you kidding — get up on those starter blocks — never), plunge into the water, and swim as strong as I was able. I could hear my son’s encouraging voice, “Go, Ma — doing great!” I felt so fulfilled doing something I didn’t know I was capable of — swimming my first competitive swim meet at 78. The satisfaction was in the joy of the personal challenge. A side benefit was earning 25 points for my Y team and bringing home two gold, a 5th and a 6th place medals.

Masters swimmers Judy Henderson and son Wade

Yes, we must challenge ourselves because it is an important healthy aspect of getting older. Yes, I am still swimming, but my heart focus is now turning toward financially up-building the Western Center for Social Justice and Innovation. I have recently experienced the power of being a participating team member. — Judith Dudman Henderson ’62

For more about Judy’s personal history and accomplishments (already well known to Western alumnae) and lots of fun pictures from the tournament, visit the Y

blog page: http://ymcatulsa.org/blog