The Amazing Tracy Grilli

Tracy Grilli has been described as "simply delightful." Delightful yes, but she is far more than that. Currently, she is the USMS National Office Administrator, previously called the Executive Secretary of USMS. She took over for retiring Dorothy Donnelly on January 1, 1997 and has been going strong ever since. She said that one of her favorite duties is communicating with the many Masters swimmers from around the country.

Tracy, mother of two, has been active in Masters swimming for the past 24 years and has attended the USMS National Convention since 1996. She has been a member of the New England Masters swim club (Granite State Penguins) since 1981. She is the coordinator for NEM relays at national meets and had also acted for many years as vice-president of meets. She currently volunteers as the Registrar for the New England LMSC. Her husband David Grilli is a past president of NEM and is also active in USMS previously serving as the Fitness Chair.

Tracy has a Bachelor of Science degree in physical education from Slippery Rock State College. Professionally she worked for 15 years for the YMCA and YWCA working her way up the ladder to Interim Executive Director at the YWCA in Nashua, N.H., before taking the position with USMS.

Tracy started competing at the age of six. Today, she normally swims four days per week averaging 3,000 yards per workout and cross trains with weights and aerobics. Her coach is her husband, David, who also competes and coaches a USA Swimming club. Her motivation to keep swimming is to exercise and try to improve her speed.

Tracy normally attends and competes in five to 10 meets per year and usually places in the National Top Ten. Tracy says that her most memorable swimming highlights to date are being a member of the NEM 200-249 womens 200-meter freestyle relay that broke the world record in December of 2004, along with Jacki Hirsty, Joel Feldmann and Karla Nisley-Black and the NEM 200-239 mixed 800-meter freestyle relay that broke the national record in December of 2002, along with Hirsty, Dan Rogacki and Greg Shaw. Other highlights are pool All-American in 1999 in the 400-scm freestyle in the 40-44 age group, Long Distance All-American and All-Star in 2000, and most recently an All-American again in 2004 in the 400-scm freestyle in the 45-49 age group.

She was also on two All-American relays. In 1989 she anchored the 400-scm mixed relay with Evelyn Hausberger, Chris French, and Mike Hirst and anchored again in 2000 with French, Shawn Jones, and Hausberger in the same event.

Another description of Tracy is "fun loving." At the SCY Nationals in Indianapolis in 2000 she swam on the Friday's Executive Committee Relay Challenge in a "just for fun" eight person, 200 free relay. Other executives on the team were: Jeanne Crouse, Betsy Durrant, Jeanne Ensign, Jack Geoghegan, Mel Goldstein, Hugh Moore, and Nancy Ridout.

She attended the US Olympic Training Center High Altitude Training Camp in 2000 along with New England Masters team member Barbara Handler. You can learn more about her experiences at the camp by reading their article: Going to Swim Camp: Two New England Masters at the US Olympic Training Center High Altitude Training Camp.

Tracy competes in triathlons (swimming leg only) and is a member of the Comprehensive Training Systems Racing Team which is committed to improving the fitness and abilities of its members through group training and racing. In 2005 she was chosen as one of 27 Big Ring Racers who are the most dedicated members of the team and are multi-sport athletes.

At the third Annual International Masters Swimming Hall of Fame induction ceremony held at the International Swimming Hall of Fame in Fort Lauderdale on January 8, 2005, Tracy was one of 12 Masters swimmers who were honored at the first Masters Swimming Pioneer Awards presented by the U.S. Water Fitness Association. These awards were presented in the name of the 12 original pioneer participants in the Masters program. Tracy received the June Krauser Rules or Newsletter Award.