Matt Watkins, 30, was born on the 4th of July in St Augustine, FL. He first learned to swim in his family’s back yard pool, when he was seven. Watkins joined the Y swim team when he was in the 3rd grade, so “I could learn how to swim like a normal person.” At a Jr Olympics meet at the North Shore Pool, in St Petersburg, FL, his main interest was in playing with his friends on the hill behind the bleachers. After several years on the team, swimming stopped being fun, so he left the team. He avoided the pool after that, until college, when he began swimming laps to stay in shape. Watkins graduated from the U of Florida with a BS in Zoology, which he considers his greatest accomplishment, so far. Presently, he is attending the U of S Florida, and working towards his degree in International Business. His work has taken him to north to Alaska. In Nevada, Watkins worked for the Park Service, 35 miles from Las Vegas, where he took advantage of the nearby casinos. Unfortunately, “I lost everything I ever won.” He moved to St Petersburg, FL in 1999, and presently works at the Pier Aquarium. Watkins’ most unusual swim was when he flipped his sailboat and had to swim one mile against strong winds and currents to reach shore. His outstanding swimming accomplishment is finishing a 5K open water swim (first planned one) in Ft Myers, in 2003. Two years ago, he started swimming laps in St Pete, FL, and asked swimmers about Masters. He searched the net for more info and after talking to Paul, knew the Mavericks were the right team for him. He is the newly elected President of the Maverick 2020 chapter. One of their goals is to set world records in 2020. Ask him for more info on how to join the chapter. Watkins resides in St Petersburg, FL.

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