92-year-old Stasia Kowalski competes in her first swim meet

Stasia Kowalski, 92, uses a cane to walk. But she doesn't need one in the pool.

The Louisville resident competed in her first ever meet Saturday at Lakeside Swim Club, setting best times for her age bracket in the 50-meter and 100-meter backstroke and competing in a medley relay. 

"Just because you're in your 90s doesn't mean life is over," Kowalski said. "There's always something exciting to do, if you want to."

More from the Courier-Journal

►Orphans come back to the Masonic Homes decades later
►Celebrity guests flee from FandomFest, leaving fans dejected
►Indivisible Kentucky rallies for health care in wake of bill defeat

Kowalski didn't learn to swim until she was almost 40 because she was afraid of the water, she said. Now, she swims two or three times a week in the summertime, usually completing 15 laps, or 30 lengths, of the pool. 

That made her events Saturday a piece of cake, she said.

"This is easy! You get a little rest in between," she said, laughing.

Still, all morning before she left for the pool, she was a "wreck," fighting knots in her stomach from nerves. Once she got in the pool, the nerves went away.

Mary Graves, the general manager of Lakeside Swim Club and deck coach for the Lakeside Masters Swim Team, called Kowalski inspiring. 

"There's not too many 90-year-olds swimming in our region," Graves said. "It's pretty amazing. She's an inspiration. ... I'd love to be where she is today in 30 more years."

During the 41st Annual Lakeside Masters Long Course Invitational Saturday, Kowalski's 4:08.80 time for the 100-meter backstroke bested the 90-94 age bracket's previous record set in August 2002, of 4:19.03.

She also set an age bracket best time with her 1:45.57 in the 50-meter backstroke. The previous record in that event was 1:54.35, set in August 2003.

As for next year? Kowalski hopes to compete if she's able, she said.

"I don't think I'll have as many knots in my stomach next time," she said.

In addition to swimming, Kowalski enjoys gourmet cooking, morning yoga and showing off her "wicked" Scrabble skills, her daughter Lydia Kowalski said.

Since she joined a Thursday afternoon game, more and more people have shown up to play and now there are often three tables going at once.

"She's a rabble-rouser," Lydia Kowalski said. "She doesn't like to admit it, but she is."

Resting before her final event Saturday, Kowalski sat on a pool chair, swim cap still on, cane beside her.

"The lanes don't seem nearly as long as they did before," she said to Lydia, smiling.

For more information on the Lakeside Masters Swim Team, visit the Lakeside Swim Club website.

Reporter Darcy Costello can be reached at 502-582-4834 or via email at dcostello@courier-journal.com. Follow  her on Twitter at @dctello.