Lap by Lap: Julie’s Incredible 7-Million-Yard Swim Journey
Julie Wolpers' story is one of resilience, determination, and an unwavering love for swimming.
Her journey in the water began early in life but shifted to the pool deck while she cheered on her son John and daughter Annie as both a swim mom and USA Swimming official. Without a year-round team or an indoor pool in their town at the time, she agreed to drive them 74 miles nearly every day after school so they could attend swim practice with a regional team before they moved close to the pool 2 years later.
Their dedication and passion inspired her and soon became her own. After they left home for college, Julie realized she needed to get stronger herself to meet the mounting challenges of life, work, and aging. In her 50s, she headed to the pool and reacquainted herself with the sport, this time as a swimmer inspired by her children and with help from some online coaching.
Julie at the pool at Mercy Fitness Center in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
Since then, Julie has become both an advocate and an example of how swimming can help you develop mental resilience and physical fitness at any age. In 2021, motivated by some of the swimmers she was following in the FORM app, she decided she needed to take her swimming more seriously and switched from after-work swims 3-4 times per week to a goal of getting in 5,000 yards or more every morning before work. She changed her alarm to 4am, went to bed early, and started new morning rituals (her habits include making coffee, doing New York Times puzzles, and reading the news and social media on her phone before leaving for the pool around 5:30am). She has sustained that routine ever since. “I was never a morning person, but now it’s my favorite part of the day.”
That decision paid off in ways she could never imagine.
In early 2023, she found herself facing serious health challenges, including a cancer diagnosis and a deteriorating hip. Her early morning routine helped keep her grounded while she found solace and strength in the water. Julie recalls, "I would get in the water and feel free of what had become constant hip pain. I could get in the pool and swim for miles, but then I would get out and barely be able to make it to my car."
Hip replacement surgery later that year kept her out of the water for five weeks. It was a difficult time, but she was eager to return. "We went on a family trip to Miami for Thanksgiving, and I got back in at four weeks and swam, but the mile walk to the pool was too much. So, I waited another week and then I've been back ever since."
Facing Cancer Head-On
Receiving a cancer diagnosis is something no one wants to hear, but Julie tackled it with a strong mindset. "I remember telling my doctor, 'I'm in the best shape of my life. I've never been healthier thanks to the swimming I do, and I'm going to be fine. But I really need you to tell me when I can get back in the pool.’" Swimming became an integral part of her healing process, and she credits it for helping her recover. Despite undergoing surgery in March, radiation in May and June, her hip replacement in October, and losing both of her beloved German shepherd dogs that year, she managed to swim more than she ever had in her life – well over 900 miles in 2023 and 1,000 in 2024. "It was literally my lifeline."
A Community of Swimmers
Julie is passionate about inspiring others to stay active, particularly older adults. "At our age, you have to be prepared for life’s detours. Are you going to be as healthy as you can be so you can deal with them? Or will they become a downhill slope for you?"
She loves it when she gets to swim alongside other swimmers, some in their 60s and beyond, all of whom inspire her. But she has noticed a shift in gym pools towards more water aerobics classes rather than lap swimming, something that concerns her. "Lap swimming as a gym routine is being replaced, and that worries me. Some days I am the only person in my pool swimming laps. There are great benefits to swimming, and we need to get more people doing it! I love seeing people exercise in water, where there is a lot of resistance and virtually no impact. It's a great option for a lot of people. But swimming itself is an important life skill and sport we must continue to teach and support."
Competitive Aspirations and Milestones
Awards ribbons from when Julie competed in swim competitions as a child.
Julie participates regularly in the U.S. Masters Swimming fitness challenges on swim.com and she competed in the 2023 USMS 1-Hour Virtual Championship. "In my age group, I came in 40th out of 80, right in the middle, which I was proud of." She also came close to a national age group qualifying time in the 1650-yard freestyle and had contacted her kids’ former swim team coach about helping her reach it before her cancer diagnosis cut short what had been her stretch goal for the year.
But her priorities shifted after her battle with cancer. "I don’t know if competition will be in my future, but I do support swimming as much as I can. I love being a part of the online swim communities at FORM, on swim.com, and on Strava, where I find a lot of inspiring athletes to follow and challenges to aspire to."
Julie has also been an active participant in swim challenges at 2 fitness center pools in her town, including a 5,000-lap fall swim challenge at one and another where participants’ laps count toward a virtual swim from Miami to Key West. "The aquatics director keeps track of our progress on a map. She recently joked, 'Julie, you're on your way back. We might have to send you to Cuba!'”
The Love of the Sport
Meanwhile, Julie continues to refine her technique. She has worked on improving her catch and overcame a past shoulder impingement by incorporating backstroke into her routine. "I do planks at the pool wall to strengthen my shoulders. I also know I over-rotate, my right arm drops, and I’m working on fixing that. Swimming is an endless technical challenge for me."
Doing laps at the pool has not only kept her physically strong but also mentally resilient. "I talk to myself along the way, pushing myself to keep going, and focusing on only that. Each set I finish gives me more confidence for the next one. And in the meantime, I’m setting my mind free from any other worries or concerns. It’s like a deep meditation, just breathing and moving and feeling the water. There’s nothing else like it."
Julie's marker on the way back swimming from Miami to Key West!
7 Million Yards and Counting
Julie has no plans to stop. "Swimming is a sport you can do your entire life. There are many swimmers I look up to, especially older swimmers who are out there proving that age is just a number. I hope to keep going and maybe help others realize that if I can do it, they can do it, too."
Last month, Julie reached a significant milestone swimming a cumulative total of 7 million yards with her FORM Smart Swim Goggles. "Six million was a surprise, but seven million seemed to come soon after. I’m truly grateful for how far I’ve come, for every lap. My FORM goggles have kept track of every yard, and we’ve come a long way together."
Since getting her first pair of FORM goggles in 2019, Julie has continued to evangelize about FORM whenever she talks to other swimmers. I tell them, 'Have you seen these? You have to try them. You won’t believe how amazing they are!' They still seem like science fiction to me, like I’m wearing something out of Star Trek."
Her journey is a testament to perseverance, the healing power of swimming, and the importance of staying active no matter what life throws your way.
The Role of FORM Goggles
Julie credits FORM goggles as a key tool in her swimming journey. "Having the ability to track my progress in real-time has been a game-changer. When you’re going through something like a hip replacement or cancer, it’s easy to feel like you’re losing control. But with FORM, I could see my improvement, my splits, my distances—it gave me a sense of direction and accomplishment."
She especially appreciates how the goggles help her fine-tune her technique with in-goggle suggestions, evaluations, and workouts. "Seeing my pace, heart rate, and distance per stroke while I swim allows me to make adjustments and become more efficient. It’s helped me push through challenges and reach new milestones."
For Julie, swimming isn’t just a workout—it’s a passion and a necessity. And with FORM by her side, she plans to keep going for millions of yards more.
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Out of the pool, Julie works as a web developer, writer-editor, and content marketing specialist. She shares her home office in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, with two German shepherd rescues, LuLu and Sammy Girl, and visits her new granddaughter Heidi as often as she can.
