Retired Mosman plastic surgeon Bill Walker, OAM, aims to reach 90 and add to his 20 international swimming gold medals

A SELF-TAUGHT swimmer until he turned 70, Mosman’s Bill Walker, 87, cannot wait until he turns 90 to compete in the 2019 FINA World Masters Championships.

Mosman resident Bill Walker, 87, won five — mostly gold — medals in the World Masters Games in New Zealand in April. Picture: Annika Enderborg

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MOSMAN resident Bill Walker, OAM, turns 88 on Sunday but he’s already thinking about hitting 90 and competing in the 2019 FINA World Masters Championships in South Korea.

The retired plastic surgeon, former overseas aid surgeon and Mosman Rotarian only had his first formal swimming lesson at age 70.

“At age 7 years, with the help of my older sisters, I learned to dog paddle in Clovelly ocean baths and gradually learned breaststroke and freestyle by watching other swimmers,” Dr Walker said.

“We had to walk one mile to and from the baths because we were too poor to pay the one penny fare.

“I can’t remember my first races at Randwick Primary School in first year, but think I came third in a race.

“We moved to Katoomba in 1941 just before the Japanese attack on Sydney.

Bill Walker holds 20 international gold medals and even won gold with a broken rib in his last race.

“In second year, I went in seven races at Blackheath pool and won seven races and realised I had swimming talent.

“I used to win my age group races at school every second year when I was the older age of the two-year division.

“In my last year at Katoomba High School I broke the school record for the 50-yard breaststroke in the muddy Catalina pool and held it for more than 10 years.

“At Sydney University I represented in breaststroke nationally and swam freestyle for medicine.

“I learnt butterfly by watching others do it; no coaching.”

Dr Walker started masters swimming when he turned 70.

“Coaching taught me how to train and I had great success,” he said.

“I was awarded male swimmer of NSW for the years 2004 and 2014, when I had broken 11 national and 13 state records each year, and I still hold some.”

Dr Walker holds 20 international gold medals and even won gold with a broken rib in his last race.

Bill Walker with his latest medal haul, including four gold. Picture: Supplied

“I think I have been described as being a competitive animal. I enjoy the challenge of the race and I swim better if I’ve got to beat somebody,” he said.

“Internationally I first swam in Christchurch in 2002 and won two top-10 medals, following this with a bronze in the World Masters Games in Melbourne in 2003.

“I went to every FINA World Masters every two years and always won medals.

“My first individual gold was in Gothenburg, Sweden in 2010, the 100-metre butterfly, and I have won medals in every games since.

“I won four gold in the World Masters in Sydney in 2009, including two relays.

“My best-ever effort was five gold medals out of five races at FINA in Kazan, Russia in 2015 and last month, four gold in the World Masters Games in Auckland, New Zealand.

“I hope to keep on till I’m 90.”

CLASS AXE

Dr Walker became a Mosman resident in January last year.

“I lived in Newcastle for more than 30 years,” he said.

“People ask why I came to live here and the answer is very simple: a woman.”

Dr Walker enjoys swimming at Balmoral because: “it costs me nothing and the water is still warm enough to swim.”

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