A first, at 70

LIHU’E — It took 56 years, but Norm Stupfel is a national champion as he was awarded the top honor in August at a Newark, N.J. swim meet in the 200-meter long course breaststroke.

Swimming since he was 14 years old, Stupfel said this is his first national championship.

“I got a lot of seconds! Breaststroke, flys, IMs (individual medley), but this is the first championship!” said Stupfel, visiting here and staying at the Kiahuna, quietly working his way through the throng of younger swimmers at the Kaua’i High School pool Monday at the Mokihana Aquatics practice, hardly raising any eyebrows.

“Back then (when he was 14), they didn’t have age group swimming,” Stupfel said. “You swam for the Y. And, the meets were when the different Ys would get together.”

Stupfel said he always wanted to work out during his trips here. He and his wife have been coming to Kaua’i twice a year for the past three years, and when he found out about Mokihana Aquatics, he immediately got a hold of coach Orlando Anaya, who welcomed him to the pool.

“Coach O is a good coach,” Stupfel said. He said they (the Masters) try to copy the routines assigned them by Anaya, but they’re a lot younger, he chuckled.

Stupfel earned his national championship before a crowd of between three and four thousand swimmers competing in the meet hosted by the U.S. Masters Swimming program.

Stupfel, who swims with the San Mateo Marlins, an organization of about 70 swimmers, said the Newark meet involved women and all the different age groups, allowing an opportunity for post-college swimmers a venue to compete.

As a Marlin swimmer, Stupfel said they compete in 10 zone meets a year, two national meets, and one international meet, a far cry from the days of swimming with the Y.

Anaya, once getting his young charges in the water, watched as Stupfel worked through his routines, noting, “Look at him! I want to be in his shape when I get to that age.”

Stupfel celebrates his 71st birthday Wednesday, Nov. 26.