Glenna Stricklett

Hi, I’m Glenna Stricklett. I first found my way into Masters swimming thanks to my Girl Scout friend, Ellie Morrison, who competed in the Senior Olympics and encouraged me to get back in the water. When the brand-new PCY Masters team launched in April 2014, Mary Ann Schlewinsky and I were the only two swimmers who showed up on Day One—with Tassos coaching us from the very start.

I grew up swimming on a summer swim club team through junior and senior high school, and later became a Girl Scout aquatics counselor at camp. After that, life pulled me away from the pool for a long time—until I started practicing on my own for the Senior Olympics and eventually joined PCY Masters.

Getting to the pool regularly hasn’t always been easy. Early mornings aren’t my strength, and retirement plus a knee replacement, a shoulder replacement, and a few other health bumps have slowed me down at times. But Masters swimming gives me the encouragement I need to keep moving, stay active, and take care of myself.

What I love most about this team are the friendships and the constant support. Claudia and I have a great time together in Group 5, and the camaraderie keeps me coming back.

My favorite stroke is breaststroke—I like knowing where I’m going, and it’s much easier to remember to breathe!

One fun story: my very first Masters race was at YMCA Nationals, and it was completely unplanned. Yoshi didn’t make it to the relay on time, so I was suddenly told I had to jump in. I was nervous and had no idea what to do, but Meredith said, “Just dive when they tell you to and swim freestyle up and back.” So I did it—and I survived!

My current goals are simple but meaningful: make it to practice on time more consistently and, after all these years, work my way up to Group 4.