While practice might make perfect for some athletes, for Dr. Geoff Mykleby it’s a good excuse to socialize.
And yet Mykleby, owner of Mykleby Family Dentistry in Wauwatosa, is an accomplished swimmer who has set records across the state and country and achieved an international ranking.
Mykleby, who began swimming competitively more than 50 years ago, belongs to United States Masters Swimming Inc. Through USMS, the governing organization for adult swimmers in the U.S., Mykleby competes in local, state and national meets against male swimmers of all abilities in his age bracket.
To date, Mykleby holds more than a dozen Wisconsin state records over three different age divisions.
Among his best swims was a 2008 USMS national championship in Austin, Texas, where he shattered three records in the 50-yard backstroke. The following year, Mykleby broke a record in a 100-yard backstroke event at a national YMCA meet in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Both records have since been surpassed by other swimmers.
On an international scope, he ranked seventh in the 100-yard backstroke at the 2006 XI FINA World Masters Championship, held at Stanford University in California.
After recovering from cancer last year, Mykleby will travel to Montreal this summer to race in the 2014 FINA World Masters Championship with friend and fellow USMS competitor Barry Mandel, president of Milwaukee-based multi-family real estate development firm Mandel Group Inc.
The camaraderie among swimmers like Mykleby and Mandel drives much of his love for the sport, Mykleby said.
He also sees a direct correlation between his swimming career and his ability to practice dentistry and stay healthy.
“Because my profession is very hard on the body, I feel that my being in the pool really helps my health in terms of posture, in terms of stress release (and) in terms of flexibility,” he said.