Watching Sandy Galletly powering through the water it’s hard to believe that this toned swimmer is in his mid-seventies. Taught to swim by his mum when he was just eight, he showed a flair for the sport and the intervening years have seen him transform from a water baby to champion swimmer.
Recalling an era long before social media , computers and TV dominated children’s lives, Sandy says: “In the 1940s and ‘50s football and swimming were the main activities for children.
“Swimming club night was a Friday and various events were held throughout the year, culminating in the club championships at the end of the season,” the 75 year old continues. “Coached by my father, who was also one of the club coaches, it became apparent that I had a talent for swimming.”
A life member of what is now Perth City Swim Club, the club had an interesting start in life, originally formed by the women of Pullars Dye Works for the female workforce and their children.
By the time Sandy left Perth High School he was already a champion swimmer and when he joined General Accident as an insurance underwriter there was no way his passion for the pool was going to take a back seat. Throughout his working life he managed to keep up swimming competitively, often representing Scotland at international level.
“I started as a backstroker and moved to middle distance freestyle in the 1960s, competing in the Scottish and British Championships,” says Sandy.
He also represented Scotland at the Commonwealth Games in 1958, 1966 and in 1970, and captained the Scottish Swim Squad between 1966 and 1970.
No surprise, then, that when he took early retirement after 33 years, he became a pool life guard at GA’s sports complex until it closed in 2004.
After retiring from mainstream competition, Sandy continued to have daily sessions in the pool to maintain water fitness and when Masters Swimming – a special class of competitive swimming for swimmers 25 years and older – began in Scotland in 1980 he jumped straight in.
“I’ve competed at Scottish, British and US national events as well as both the world and European championships,” he says proudly. Since he started he’s set 25 world records, 30 European records and won numerous world, European, British and Scottish national championships.
Sandy has the physique of a much younger man and it’s obvious that swimming is the way to go to keep fit. “It’s one of the best forms of exercise you can take,” he says. “It’s a good aerobic exercise and is mostly injury free due to the water supporting the body,” he says.
He adds a caveat, however – despite the physical benefits it can take a mental and social toll. “When competing at a high level, it can become an obsession and when I was younger I found training at unsociable hours kept me apart from my friends who did not swim,” he recalls.
To keep in tip-top condition, Sandy is often to be found on dry land in the gym, heaving weights, and when he turned 70, he took up karate, as you do.
When he’s not training he enjoys walking with his dog, taking his motorbike out for a spin or heading off on holiday with wife Lesley.
“We’ve travelled across the world with friends and as long as there’s a pool within walking distance, I’m happy,” he smiles.
“I have made so many good friends home and abroad. Many of the people I swam against in mainstream swimming now compete in Masters and it’s great to keep in touch with them.”
Sandy’s dedication to the world of swimming was recognised in 1998 when the title of life member of the Scottish Amateur Swim Association was conferred on him. And in 2007 he was inducted into the Masters International Hall of Fame at a ceremony in California – especially rewarding as he was nominated by his peers.
With his eye on the next generation of Scottish swimmers, Sandy helps coach the club’s up and coming young swimmers. But even under his tutelage they’re perhaps not quite ready for one particular challenge Sandy has under his belt. “On a visit to Hawii in the ‘90s I took part in a rough water swim – and I mean rough!” he shudders.
www.perthcityswimclub.com
