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\n A local man has rediscovered his zest for living through the physical and mental release of swimming \u2013 at Sandwell Aquatics Centre in Smethwick \u2013 and the community feel of the facility.\n <\/p>\n
Martin Lyndop, age 72, recently lost his wife Carol, his soulmate of more than three decades, and suddenly life felt painfully quiet, motivation disappeared, days blurred into one another and the loneliness was overwhelming. \u201cShe was so full of energy,\u201d Martin says. \u201cWe did everything together and for a while I struggled to cope.\u201d<\/p>\n
It was a friend, who gently nudged Martin towards Sandwell Aquatics Centre (SAC), recommending the Over 60s swimming sessions as a way to get back into a routine. Martin hadn\u2019t swum regularly for a long time, apart from the occasional holiday dip, but last summer he decided to give it a try.<\/p>\n
So, when he first walked through the doors of SAC (one of eight facilities operated by Kore Wellness – formerly Sandwell Leisure Trust – on behalf of Sandwell Council) he wasn\u2019t just looking for a swim, he was looking for a way forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was completely blown away,\u201d he explains. \u201cThe size of the place, how clean it was, and the whole theatrical look of it \u2014 it\u2019s stunning.\u201d<\/p>\n
Very quickly, swimming three times a week has helped Martin rebuild structure in his life, but it\u2019s the people that have made the biggest difference. Through the Over 60s sessions, he\u2019s met others who understand loss and change, people from different cultures and backgrounds, many of whom have also said goodbye to loved ones.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe laugh, we talk about the old times, and we just enjoy being around each other,\u201d Martin adds. \u201cYou realise you\u2019re not alone.\u201d<\/p>\n
The coffee shop has become just as important as the pool itself. Before and after his swims, Martin can often be found sitting with friends, sharing stories and enjoying the simple comfort of conversation – something he deeply missed.<\/p>\n
SAC staff have also played a huge role in making him feel welcome. \u201cThey\u2019re always friendly and helpful, and they go out of their way to stop and chat,\u201d he says. \u201cThat means more than they probably realise.\u201d<\/p>\n
Today, while grief is still part of his journey, Sandwell Aquatics Centre has given Martin a place to belong again – a space for movement, friendship, and moments of joy. \u201cIt\u2019s helped me find my feet again,\u201d he concludes. \u201cComing here has brought me back to life.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A local man has rediscovered his zest for living through the physical and mental release of swimming \u2013…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":789212,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7820],"tags":[22440,22441,855,9163,22439,748,9444,1354,393,9453,4884,14987,269,12,3669,9440,93,16823,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-789211","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-birmingham","8":"tag-102-5","9":"tag-102-5-fm","10":"tag-birmingham","11":"tag-black-country","12":"tag-brierley-hill","13":"tag-britain","14":"tag-dab","15":"tag-dudley","16":"tag-england","17":"tag-fm","18":"tag-great-britain","19":"tag-halesowen","20":"tag-music","21":"tag-news","22":"tag-online","23":"tag-radio","24":"tag-sport","25":"tag-stourbridge","26":"tag-uk","27":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/116134320941023413","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/789211","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=789211"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/789211\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/789212"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=789211"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=789211"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=789211"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}