Former WKU swimming head coach Bill Powell took to the pool early Friday morning to celebrate his 81st birthday by swimming 81 laps.
He was cheered on by his wife Joanne Powell, as well as former swimmers of his who were helping to document the event and keep track of his laps and time.
Powell was WKU’s swim coach for 36 seasons, according to his website. He founded the WKU swim program in 1969, and retired from full-time coaching in 2005, according to WKU athletics. In that time he recorded 330 dual meet victories, which made him the second-winningest Division I swim coach in NCAA history.