The beloved athlete’s centennial celebration was marked with a splash.
The Hollywood local, Maurine “Mighty Mo” Kornfeld, has paved her way to fame as a US Masters Swimming champion. With an impressive 28 world records under her belt, she has made her way into the International Swimming Hall of Fame. While most of us could only hope to match her accomplishments, she is showing no signs of stopping there. Kornfeld dove straight into her second century with a celebratory swim at the Rose Bowl Aquatics Center.
Geared up in her bathing suit and goggles, the 100-year-old was greeted with a cake, whale-shaped pinata, and a pool full of bobbing, pink-capped fans singing “happy birthday” as she completed a couple of lengths. Mighty Mo began her swimming career in her early 60s and soon became a US Masters Swimming member. Since then, she has won 14 world championships, setting numerous records in various age groups. Over the summer, she set 6 world records in freestyle and breaststroke in the 100-to-104 age group.
According to reports, she asked everyone to keep the party as low-key as possible, but inevitably made waves on local news networks. At the ripe age of 100, she is one of the oldest registered members of the US Masters but also the picture of health and vitality. She’s an inspiration to us all and we can’t wait to see her hit new records in a different age category.