Kathleen Baker, Team Elite Get Back to Training in 22-Yard Pool

Some members of San Diego-based pro group Team Elite, including former World Record holder Kathleen Baker, are training at a local backyard pool amid pool closures brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, Baker told SwimSwam.

The pool belongs to a woman whose daughter does acupuncture on the team and generally helps them out “in any ways [they] need,” Baker said.  Two swimmers can use the facility at one time and coaches David Marsh and Javier Sossa have been on deck. Baker has been swimming two to three times a week for 40-50 minutes.

Baker posted a video of the setup on Instagram last week:

Last week, California governor Gavin Newsom announced a four-step plan for his state to reopen. As of Monday, he announced that some lower-risk businesses can begin to reopen while adhering to strict social distancing guidelines (like curbside pickup), and that there will be increased access to some public spaces. Some areas of the state remain under stricter guidelines, however, including the Bay Area.

Team Elite now joins the growing group of professional swimmers to find backyard training facilities amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Fellow San Diego-based pro swimmer Michael Andrew has had a neighbor open a narrow one-lane 25-yard pool to him, while up in Northern California, Katie Ledecky and Simone Manuel are also training in a local back yard. Out in Georgia, Chase Kalisz and Jay Litherland appear to have found an option as well, and Canadian Brent Hayden is training in his parents’ backyard.