Here at Sip & Savor we occasionally like to write about athletes and sporting events.  So today we offer a little historical “sports flashback:” on this day in 2008, American swimmer Michael Phelps became the first person to win eight gold medals in one Olympic Games. Now we know that Phelps is an exceptional athlete, and as a Maryland native he is one of our local sports heroes, but he also is working to promote healthy and active lifestyles – something to which our industry also is committed.

After the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Phelps established The Michael Phelps Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on “growing the sport of swimming and promoting healthy and active lives, especially for children.”

Swimming can be a great way to stay active.  In fact, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, swimming is the second most popular sports activity in the United States and a good way to get regular aerobic physical activity.  For more information on the many health benefits of water-based exercise, you can visit the website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. So get in a few laps while there’s still time to do so outdoors – but remember, you can always find a local indoor pool to swim all year round.