Seniors
A Success Story Mary Ann Reeves
M
ary Ann has had many pivotal moments in her almost 80 years of life. From a young baby carried in a basket over the border from St. Paul, Minnesota by her mother when she was 6 weeks old to working for the National Coaching Association, Mary Ann has traveled the world for business and pleasure. Her sense of competition keeps her ever searching for something else to accomplish. By setting her goals with positive thinking, she has accomplished much. She was a forerunner of her time. Spending her summers in Waterton, Canada and then returning to school in the States felt like a dual life. She could tell many stories of the fun she had in those glorious summer days but her “jumping off” moment from the bridge near the border that symbolized the turning page in her life was choosing not to return to the University of Minnesota and eventually marrying her now husband of 56 years, Barney. The two of them met at the Prince of Wales hotel. He had a car. There was a party and neither of them had a date. That was their beginning. His family was in the tourist industry, but Mary Ann had other aspirations. Moving on from a job as a librarian in Edmonton, she was interested in teaching swimming and synchronized swimming at the YWCA and was inspired to implement awards, a water show and competitions. This led to her becoming the Aquatic Director at the University of Calgary where she formed the Aquabelles. After numerous morning and evening training sessions, the club went on to
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Seniors — Winter 2021
win various competitions. With her background in synchro and dance, she was a perfect fit as coach pursuing excellence for the team at the Pan Am Games and eventually winning the silver in Yugoslavia in 1972 for Synchronized Swimming. Representing Canada in the International Sport arena was no small feat. Three years later, their daughter, Anne was born and life changed yet again. Just as her life changed, so did water sports and her attitude of healing toward her mother. Mary Ann’s love of learning kept her on the continuum of education, coaching and different job titles. She maintained her commitment to Synchronized swimming and was part of the National Team, National Coaching Association and National Coaching Institute. During that time, there were two major events that left her as a victim in the world of sport. This did not deter Mary Ann from continuing to nourish her competitiveness. In the early 90’s, she left Synchro Canada which had moved to the Olympic level and became involved in the community at Waterton. She took Yoga classes to become a certified instructor, offering classes to willing participants. Mary Ann is also an avid reader and is involved in book clubs. Her skill set and her being at the right place at the right time, allowed her to follow her dreams. Her advice to others is to do a job well by collaborating with others, gaining knowledge and getting an education. Her positive thinking, inquisitiveness and passion for Synchronized Swimming has put her on the podium of success. We wonder what new activity she will be involved in next!
