Bruce Patton, surely Queenstown’s fittest 82-year-old, has returned from the Pan Pacific Masters Games on Australia’s Gold Coast with an incredible haul of 10 medals from 10 races in his 80- to 84-year age group.
In swimming events he won six golds (four backstroke, two freestyle) and a bronze, and in indoor rowing, in the lightweight division, he picked up three silvers.
With two of those swimming golds — the 800m freestyle and 400m backstroke — he set Games records.
Amazingly, this was the first time he’d competed in either event.
Known as a marathoner in his early days, and then as a long-distance walker, Patton says he was reasonably competitive in swimming at school, but had since kept it up "because it’s a good cross-training thing as it’s not weight-bearing".
He adds his 10-medal haul’s his best at any meet.
"I mean, 10 races, 10 medals, that takes some beating."
Showing some cunning, Patton also reveals he decided to pull out of the 50m freestyle swimming race "because I could see the competition was too tough".
