Member 1973 - 1995

USMS National Records – 6 Lifetime
USMS All American Honors – 8 years, 26 Individual
USMS Top Ten Achievements – 276 Individual
NE LMSC Individual Records – 5 Current, 165 Lifetime

“You win a race before you start. If you decide to win, you’ll beat all your competitors.” This quote from Abe sums up his attitudes on life and how he chose to live it. He loved to compete at swim meets. He loved to help others, but most of all he loved his family.

Born in Lynn, Olanoff graduated from Classical HS and learned to swim at a young age. He used to swim at beaches in Lynn and Swampscott and taught swimming at summer camps in Maine and New Hampshire. He also helped blind people learn to swim at a weekly program at the JCC in Marblehead (now Northshore JCC).

Abe was coached by Jack Hayden and was one of the first swimmers from the JCC to become active in Masters swimming starting in 1972. He developed so well that he was named All American in the 200-yard breaststroke in 1978 and 100 IM in 1979. In 1980 Abe ranked first in almost every event in NEM’s All Time Top Ten in the Men’s 70-74 age group.

Abe credits Phil Whitten (an NEM member until moving to Arizona in 1992 and previous Editor in Chief of “Swimming World” and “SWIM” magazines) with being his mentor and encouraging him to compete. Whitten, however, credits Abe’s stubbornness as the main reason why he’s been so successful at the sport of swimming. Abe was disqualified because he didn’t lift his elbow out of the water. Phil reminded him that he was 85 and told him to forget it. Abe ignored him and insisted Phil connect him with a coach who helped him overcome the problem. It simply did not occur to Abe that this is something he cannot do because of his age.

In 1987 Abe had the fastest LCM times in the World in the 80-84 age group in the 200 Breast and 100 Fly, 2nd in the 800 Free, 50 Breast and 50 Fly and was top ten in 3 other events. All these times established New England records.

In 1991 Abe broke the World Records in the 85-89 age group in the Long Course 50 and 100 Fly and 400 Individual Medley.

If Abe Olanoff had a day without a dip in the Marblehead JCC pool, he is literally like a fish out of water. Asked what he particularly likes about Masters swimming, he replied, “sociability, health, and personal achievement.”