Two-time Olympian and gold medalist Whitney Hedgepeth, 45, leads the 238-member Longhorn Aquatics Club in Austin, Texas. A cool 23 new members signed up during the August membership drive, making the TXLA the fifth club to receive a $1,200 pace clock from Colorado Time Systems.

How big and amazing could your Masters program be if only you could find enough pool time?

Although some of the clubs that won pace clocks during our August membership drive contest didn’t even realize the contest was going on, for some this was a prime opportunity to rejuvenate their organizations and spark new growth. Such was the case for White Rock Masters Swimmers in Dallas led by head coach Jeff Veazey.

The August membership drive was a success for clubs of all shapes and sizes, and at the larger end of the spectrum, Lane 4 Swimming (Potomac Valley) finished in second place with 47 new members. That adds a nice chunk of new swimmers to an already enormous program; L4S currently has nearly 900 registered USMS members and is the largest local club in the country.

Linda Bostic, 52, never intended to found one of the fastest-growing Masters programs in the country or to become a top coach within U.S. Masters Swimming. All she was looking to do back in 2009 was to start swimming again.