Klista Bacon

Hometown and Current residence: Carthage, MO

Family and Occupation: I’ve been married to Lance Bacon for 23 years.  We have 2 dogs, Bella (English Bulldog) and Diesel (French Bulldog), both rescues. I work at Lambeth Auto in Carthage (my parents started the business in 1974).  I do all the bookkeeping, and I am one of the service writers.  My husband also works there as an auto technician.

Swimming background: I learned to swim probably before I could walk.  I joined the Carthage summer swim team when I was 5 years old, and I swam every summer until I was 18.  We didn’t have a school swim team, but a couple of years in high school I swam on the Joplin Tigershark team in the winter.  It was made up of swimmers from all over the area and we swam at MSSU.

Favorite event/race: 50yd butterfly

Swimming hero: My swimming hero is Dorothy Burke from Arkansas.  I find no matter how good of shape I’m in, swimming is still really tough.  I watched Dorothy swim at our meet last September.  She is absolutely amazing!  I hope when I’m in my late 70’s I’m still swimming too.  She makes swimming look so easy when I know it’s not.  What a great inspiration she is for all swimmers!

Swimming goals: My swimming goals are to improve my race times, and to be more consistent with my practices.

Advice to new masters swimmers:  Don’t give up.  Keep pushing through and keep going back.  It does get easier.  The other day I heard someone say “Take your favorite sport and then do it while holding your breath.”  Swimming is tough but its such a great workout.

Hobbies: In my spare time and when its much warmer I love to wakeboard, solemn ski, and jet ski.  In the fall and spring we have a Polaris RZR and go four wheeling.  Other than that, I love to exercise and shop.  I also sell Scentsy on the side for fun (I’m my best customer).

Favorite Drills: I love using the fins – they make you feel like you are an Olympic swimmer speeding through the water. 

Where do you currently swim?  MC Soakers – we swim at Millennium Fitness in the summer and MSSU in the winter.