Swimming Presidents: Kennedy, Ford, Reagan
Swimming Presidents: Kennedy, Ford, Reagan
By Phillip Whitten, Guest Blogger
Nearly a century passed after the first swimming president, John Quincy Adams, took his final stroke in the Potomac as president and the next fitness swimmer, Teddy Roosevelt, moved into 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. But in the last 80 years, there has been a deluge of swimming presidents. In fact, at least seven of the 13 American presidents since 1935 could swim and most of these did swim to relieve stress, and, more generally, for fitness and health.
In chronological order, the Aqua-Fit Seven include Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, and George W. Bush. We can probably add Barack Obama to that list too. Though I’ve never seen photos of him swimming, he body surfs with excellent form, and you simply can’t catch a wave without being able to swim well.
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In chronological order, the Aqua-Fit Seven include Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, and George W. Bush. We can probably add Barack Obama to that list too. Though I’ve never seen photos of him swimming, he body surfs with excellent form, and you simply can’t catch a wave without being able to swim well.
Learn more:
