New Rochelle Resident to Compete in Swimming Championship on Friday

Since the age of 13, Roger Kahn has been swimming competitively and has incorporated swimming and physical fitness as vital pieces to his strategy for personal and business success.

On Friday, Kahn, a New Rochelle resident, will defend his top 10 world rankings for men age 55 to 59 at the U.S. Masters Championships at Auburn University, in Alabama when he swims with the Westchester Badger Swim Team.

To say that Kahn’s schedule is demanding may be an understatement.  Four mornings a week, Kahn wakes up early and swims rigorously for one hour which he says enables him to push all other thoughts he may have about the day’s events out of his mind.

He describes how he manages to keep such a regimented workout schedule by saying that “the first five minutes are painful but then you brush your teeth, head out to a workout and you kind of go on autopilot.”

“Sports and competition are the perfect simile for business,” continued Kahn. “Setting goals, mapping out plans to achieving those goals, anticipating and reacting to obstacles are all extremely important.”

The 56-year-old not only swims competitively, but also participates in the Jewish Community Center of Mid-Westchester’s Masters Swimming Team, where swimmers from all levels meet at the pool a few times a week to increase their abilities in the water and even learn new techniques from the group’s perennial competitor Kahn himself.

Sarah Weinshel is a member of the Masters Swimming team and appreciates having such an experienced swimmer in the group.

“Roger will often design the workouts for us and I think he really raises the bar for us all to work hard and improve our abilities,” she said.

In March of this year, Kahn set records at the New York State Championships at Eisenhower Park. Just before a race, you may find him listening to music to get himself focused but he also feeds off of some of the normal nervous energy most athletes feel. It is this that he admits at times propels him to victory.

Kahn’s high school swim coach Bob Saltz made a lasting impression on the young swimmer, teaching him how to be a solid competitor as well as the importance of always trying to improve your abilities and techniques when swimming.

One other effect Kahn’s lifestyle has had is on his two sons, Scott and Ryan, who also are very active, but in martial arts and extreme sports such as the Spartan Race, a 3-1/2-mile obstacle course where participants crawl, jump and climb their way to the finish line.

Not only will you find Kahn in the water, but the fierce competitor can also be seen crosstraining with rowing exercises, spinning classes and jumping rope to maintain as high a level of physical ability as possible. 

After his workouts, Kahn says he is energized and is ready to take on whatever the day may bring.

“When I finish a workout, I know that I have already completed what will be my toughest task of the day,” he said.

Feeling passionately about the importance of a healthy lifestyle, Kahn cannot emphasize enough how critical it is for everyone to find time to incorporate physical activity into their daily lives, while balancing their time efficiently with their professional lives as well.