When we think of synchronized swimming, images of young, athletic women come to mind. But these elderly gentlemen are putting that stereotype to the test with this hilarious retirement home performance.
The men proudly strut in front of the audience and walk up the stairs and onto the stage in their bathing suits. Then they start a synchronized swimming routine that leaves the crowd howling with laughter.
Even though these men seem totally comfortable with their synchronized swimming routine, it wasn’t historically a male sport. The website, iSport, explains the history further.
“It seems ironic that a sport that doesn’t have a men’s category may have been invented by one of the founding fathers of the United States. Benjamin Franklin grew up in Boston, Massachusetts, and spent much of his time swimming in the Atlantic Ocean and experimenting with exercise and its health benefits.”
It appears that while on a trip to London in 1724, Benjamin Franklin performed maneuvers in the Thames River that he called “ornamental swimming” for the entertainment of the onlookers. That’s why these men wanted to display their own skills and demonstrate that men – even older men – can “swim” with the best of them!
