Masters community mourns world champion Lindsay Lant

It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Masters swimming world champion Lindsay Lant.

A regular on the Masters circuit

Lindsay didn’t actually start swimming until she was in her 30s and with her great enthusiasm for the sport, became a regular on the Masters swimming circuit for over 40 years.

She won many national and British titles over the years and became world champion for 200m Breaststroke and 200m Individual Medley at the 1994 World Masters Games in Brisbane.

Throughout the 70s and early 80s she taught many youngsters to swim at the old Yeovil Swimming Baths. She then coached at Yeovil SC.

She became chief coach for Taunton SC in 1983, followed by Deane Dolphins SC between 1984 and 1987. This was all on top of a full time job as well as being mum to her two children, who were also competitive swimmers.

In 1987, Lindsay was awarded the Somerset County Award for her achievements in Masters swimming.

After retiring from full time work in 1998, she continued part time swim teaching at Gillingham, Wincanton and Sherborne (Oxley) leisure centres. She loved taking adult swim lessons as she said they would always listen and pay more attention than the kids!

Lindsay continued swimming herself and attended the World Masters Games in 2009, this time in Sydney, swimming as part of the Royal Navy team (having been a WREN in her earlier years).

She won two silvers in Sydney, again in the 200m Breaststroke and 200m Individual Medley – a great achievement at age 72!

Wincanton Masters coach for 13 years

Lindsay was coach for the Wincanton Masters team from 2001 right up until 2014 when a bad hip operation and worsening memory problems forced her to retire.

Her last swimming competition was in 2014 at the Royal Navy Open Meet where she won best female swimmer in the 75-79 age group.

Lindsay will be sorely missed by all those she taught, coached and competed with. She truly left her footprint on the swimming community.