Senior scoops five medals

Not only is swimmer Fritz Bohme in better shape than most people half his age, his trophy wall is now getting a little cramped.

Mr Bohme, 79, has just returned from the 2012 World Masters Games in Italy where he won five medals, including gold for the 200m backstroke and bronze for the 100m backstroke.

The games were the biggest swimming event he had taken part in with more than 12,000 people taking part in swimming, water polo, diving and synchronised swimming events, he said.

"It was just massive. The biggest was the 50m freestyle where there were 280 heats. Normally there are 10 guys swimming per heat."

Mr Bohme said he was satisfied with how he went.

He has set many New Zealand records and some world records but continues to get better and beat his own times, he said.

"I trained very hard, six days a week since November. Every week I did 25km in training - that means almost every day I was doing over 4km of training.

"I'm my own coach but it is very hard to correct yourself. I know what is wrong but you can't control it when you are swimming. You control it in the mind and you think you're right.

"But you must laugh over your own mistakes otherwise you don't survive."

Mr Bohme has been swimming since the age of 23 and said it is the "gliding in the water" that he likes.

"When you do a work-out early in the morning, you feel better when you come out of the water."