Engage Wellness member smashes rowing record 

Nancy McCormick, a member of UNMC’s Engage Wellness Medical Fitness Center, set a world record at the Creighton University rowing team’s 10^th annual rowing challenge on Feb. 8.  

The current national 1,000-meter rowing recordholder for the 85-89 age group, McCormick recently turned 90 and set out to break both the national and world record in the age 90-94 category. 

“This year, I thought, I’m going for both of them,” she said. “And I got them. It’s kind of fun to have a world record at 90.” 

With her children, grandchildren, friends and other supporters cheering her on, McCormick rowed the equivalent of 1,000 meters in five minutes and one second. The previous U.S. record was 5:56.09, and the world record was 5:27.01. 

McCormick discovered rowing after double knee replacement in her early 70s. For about 30 years before that, she had been a distance runner and marathon competitor.  

“I loved winning,” she said. “I thought, this is fun being a jock.” 

Now, McCormick’s motivation for staying active is a little more practical: “To shovel my driveway, take care of my house, enjoy life. To pretty much do anything that I want to do and feel good.” 

She exercises daily on her home rowing machine, a gift from her late husband, Peter Brodkey. 

“I keep the rower in the dining room, and I pull it out and watch Perry Mason for an hour, and I row,” McCormick said. 

When training for a competition, she does intervals, rowing harder and faster during the commercials. McCormick also goes to Engage Wellness two to three days a week. 

“It’s an absolutely wonderful facility,” she said. “There are not many facilities that focus on balance, and they focus on balance. It’s important to work on that for old people because it tends to go.”

McCormick participates in the fitness center’s group classes, uses the cardio and strength training equipment and spends time with the community she has built. 

“I’m pretty healthy, and I think it’s because of 50 years of exercise. It pays off,” she said. “It’s wonderful to be fit and 90.”

Pete Peterson, member of Engage Wellness and Nancy’s neighbor and friend, went to watch as she broke the record.

“It amazed me that she’s 90 years old, but what she did at any age was terrific,” Peterson said. “I don’t care if you’re 50 or 60. It was unbelievable. Goes to show you what you can do when you get fit and stay fit.” 

When asked if she planned to continue competing, McCormick said it depends on if someone breaks her time.  

“As long as I have the age group record, I’ll be happy with it,” she said. “I broke it pretty strongly, so I think it will hold for quite a while.”