Profiles

Video of the Week: “Aquadettes: On Life, Death and Synchronized Swimming”

By Senior Planet Tuesday, July 29, 2014 3 Comments Share This:

The Aquadettes are a team of synchronized swimmers who live in the California retirement community Leisure World, and this video is a poignant portrait of 76-year-old Aquadette Margo Bauer, who pursues her passion for the swim even in the face of advancing multiple sclerosis.

Bauer uses medical marijuana to manage her symptoms so she can keep swimming. She walks with difficulty – but watch her with her team of glamorously capped senior ladies; the joy she experiences as she finds grace and freedom in the water is infectious. (The soundtrack helps; we’ve never heard the Beach Boys’ “California Girls” sound so soulful!)

Picked for the short film program at Sundance, “Aquadettes” was shot by two young filmmakers, Drea Cooper and Zackary Canepari, as part of their “California Is a Place” series.

Thanks to EngagedAging.org for pointing to this video.

COMMENTS

3 responses to “Video of the Week: “Aquadettes: On Life, Death and Synchronized Swimming””

Cathie:

Tuesday, August 5, 2014 at 10:51am

What a delightful video and story of a women with REAL courage and obvious joy!
Thank you for putting this together. The “troupe” is wonderful too! Great group of gals !

Reply to Cathie
Emily Scott:

Tuesday, July 29, 2014 at 11:24pm

This video is wonderful and the woman is so likable.I will send this to my friends. They do things so well inCalif. I have been in a swim group over thirty yrs.; I can appreciate the co-ordination in the ballet. So glad that the MJ helped her with nausea. I hope she searches “Dr. Mercola” for some additional ideas.

Reply to Emily Scott
Fluffy:

Tuesday, July 29, 2014 at 5:15pm

WOW, how cool is that pool. I know exactly where Leisure World is Laguna Hills and Seal Beach – I lived in these areas for many years. The seniors that have access and enough of an income to live in these places are really benefiting from it.

Enjoyed the video and the Aquadettes documentary.

Reply to Fluffy