Born in Omaha, Nebraska on June 21, 1894, Tom Lane will soon be 102 years old. The holder of every age-group record in master's swim meets--although as Tom says, "I'm the only swimmer in my age group!"--this centenarian didn't start swimming competitively until 1977 at age 82, thus once again proving the truth of the old adage, "it's never too late to start." As a young guy Tom hopped trains and lived among the hobos in the Midwest; he later became a World War I pilot and, in 1929, barnstormed in an air derby from Long Island, New York to Spokane, Washington. Tom earned a law degree from the University of Michigan where he met his wife, Margie. Following service in yet another World War, Tom and Margie and their three children moved to California in the early 1950's. He resides in San Diego. Tom recounts his early life in the Midwest, comments on politics, and makes all of us feel like the proverbial "couch potato" when he talks about his daily exercise regimen--30 sit-ups and 15 minutes of calisthenics followed by two or three sets of 50 repetitions on pull weights, then lots of swimming! How many of you can do that? To exercise his brain, Tom memorizes poems. How many of you do that too? Speaking of poems, how about this one Tom composed and recited on his 101st birthday this past June; it's entitled "A Sail in San Diego Bay":

"I looked upon the stars Throughout the heaven known. Each one a sun, some of them Much larger than our own.... And now it's time to turn for home. The hour is getting late. We slack our sheets to sail back in That glittered silver gate."

Mr. Lane, from all of us at the Huffington Center on Aging and to all current and future centenarians, we wish you smooth sailing!