Swim race provides release for 81-year-old athlete

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Two years of training led Ruby Sherlund to this moment.

The 81-year-old gripped the side of the pool with manicured fingers on Sunday as she waited for the race to start. Her wheelchair sat empty on the pool deck at Mesquite Grove Aquatic Center in Chandler.

At the sound of the buzzer, she and two other competitors shoved off the wall for the 50-yard backstroke race in the Arizona Senior Olympics swimming competition.

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Being in a wheelchair has not stopped this young spirit to stay active, and she’s currently training hard to compete in the 2014 Senior Olympics in Chandler.