Swim Ft. Lauderdale Masters Team (SFTL) is one of the largest and best masters swimming programs in the nation.  Esteemed Head Swim Coach Marty Hendricks gives only one award each year, "The Clyde Akbar Spirit Award".  In this interview you'll meet the man behind the award, Clyde Akbar himself.  Clyde's life reads like a page-turning novel, starting with being thrown off a cliff into the sea at age 12  as his intro to swimming. Clyde's mother was murdered when he was only 13, causing him and his 7 siblings to be scattered around the globe from their home country of Trinidad. Clyde then landed in the US and joined the US military at age 17, later receiving a Purple Heart Award for his service in Vietnam, and that's just the beginning of his story.  Swimming and Violin came later in his life after a 27 year "tough career" as a probation officer and being one of few blacks (during his tenure) to graduate from Loyola University with a degree in Criminal Justice after earning his GED in the military.Then after retiring Clyde moved to Ft. Lauderdale, learned to swim and fell in love with Masters Swimming in his sixties. He also learned violin late in life and still takes lessons with kids!You'll be inspired and entertained by this man of faith, determination and love for life- a man who, "doesn't quit (that easy)".  Be sure to stay until the end for Kelly and Maria's insightful takeaways from Clyde's interview.  Support the showThank you for listening to Champion's Mojo! If you enjoy the show, we'd be so grateful if you'd leave us a review on Apple.