Barry Young Eulogy
By Ivan Johnstone. Barry passed away on 4 December 2014 at the age of 75
Barry and I first met at the Fanshawe Street Tepid Baths in 1980. We continued training together once per week for two years until we heard that the first world master swimming championships would be held in Christchurch two years later in 1984. We decided to give these championships a go – Christchurch was close by, why waste the opportunity? – so we each joined our local Master swimming club and started training together five days a week. There were no lane ropes in the pool back then, so we swam alongside each other, Barry swimming backstroke, his number one stroke, and I swam breaststroke. That is when Barry and I started to do double arm backstroke sculling between each effort to keep our lane occupied while resting.
When Barry and I first met he swam only backstroke and freestyle. I wasn’t going to have any of that. I managed to persuade Barry to include butterfly and medleys. Barry initially claimed that he was too old and stiff in the back to swim butterfly, but he persevered anyway and reaped the benefits a number of years later. Suzanne, can you remember what Barry used to say to you upon arriving home after a hard butterfly session? [Suzanne declined to say in public what Barry used to say: "That bloody Ivan!”] OK, you can ask me later on. When we started doing 266-yard medleys, Barry was 30 seconds behind. It was perhaps embarrassment that motivated Barry to persevere with his butterfly.
At what was called the first International Masters Swimming Championships held in Christchurch, Barry swam way beyond our expectations. Barry swam his backstroke events against the world record holder in the 45 to 49 age group and he won two Gold medals swimming a world master record in the 100 metre backstroke. The 100 metres backstroke medal and his first world record remained one of his most special achievements.
In 1986 John Fay redeveloped the pool at Fanshawe Street and swimming lanes were put up. We had scores of swimmers join us in the fast lane and the most common name was Mark and Bruce. Barry often used to say that he wouldn’t have managed to achieve his successes in swimming if he hadn’t swum with a group and that he couldn’t train by himself. Core members of our group included John Fisher, Noel Gracie, Bruce Walker, Les Hibbs, Bernadette Rae, and Robert Redford. Barry added the 200 and 400 meters medley world Masters records to his collection. We forgot that Barry was much older than many of us and he was well able to hold his own in training.
In the 1980s we were able to buy nylon swimming togs. I wish we could buy them now because they were very durable and lasted for years. Barry made his nylon togs last for years. They started out navy blue, turned purple, and when the backside of his togs started drooping, we managed to persuade him to buy a new pair of togs before they turned pink.
In the late 1980s, early 1990s, Barry did the same job at the Maritime School under contract and he started swimming in the mornings at Takapuna pool making new friends. He swam double the distance we could manage to do at lunch times and his swimming improved. In the year 2000, Barry and I took multiple video shots of our stroke technique, including underwater shots. At our lunch time swims we had limited to no time at all to devote to stroke technique. I already knew that my freestyle was crap, but I was horrified and mortified to see just how bad my backstroke was. I have tried to model my backstroke on Barry’s stroke technique ever since. Barry was able to see for himself that his butterfly and breaststroke had room for improvement. With Dix Ozier's input and refinement of his butterfly, Barry added the 100 and 200 meters butterfly world Masters records to his collection. In more recent years Don Bidwell refined his breaststroke technique. Don, where are you? I can’t see you without my glasses. Barry bettered the world masters record for the 70 to 74 age category by a substantial margin. The record wasn't ratified by FINA because the pool was too short by a few centimeters. I am sorry that I never had a good look at Barry’s breaststroke. He showed me his new breaststroke in the ocean which wasn’t the best place to see it. Well done, Don.
Barry was twice listed by the magazine, Swimming World, as being one of the top ten Masters swimmers in the world and in 2010 he was the first NZ Masters swimmer to be inducted into the FINA World Swimming Hall of Fame. Barry has been undoubtedly the top Masters swimmer in New Zealand since 1984. I suggest that Barry has been the best Masters competitor ever in any sport in New Zealand. It is a shame that the Halberg Awards has not included a Masters category.
Although I have always admired and respected Barry' swimming abilities, it is his qualities as a person that makes him very special to me. I have been so fortunate to have met up with Barry, and I feel privileged and honoured to have had the opportunity to become one of his many friends.
Barry, along with so many others here today, I will sorely miss your companionship, quiet humour, and humility. You have enriched the lives of so many people over and beyond the community of Masters swimming. You have swum your last lap and we are here today to pay tribute to you and to celebrate your life, and what a great life that has been. It has been a glorious life.
My condolences go out to Barry's family and his many friends, including those who have been unable to be here today in person, but who are here with us in spirit.