Maintaining Balance on the Water – Masters Athlete Danny Bray
Written by Nichole Kribs
Barefoot waterskiing, also known as Barefooting, is when a person skis behind a boat but with no skis! This requires the skier to be pulled at higher speeds than a skier with skis so they can glide on the surface of the water. It is an incredible sport that requires balance, agility and a sprinkle of fearlessness.
Invictus Masters athlete, Danny Bray, encompasses those qualities and more! Danny not only does CrossFit but he is also a World Master Barefoot Waterskier!
Danny started waterskiing when he was 5, then picked up barefooting when he was 20. He barefooted competitively until he was 30, then hung his ‘feet’ up. He took a break for 28 years and then started to ski again for fun, then began to compete at 60 years old. He decided to join the Invictus Masters program in 2021.
After one year of following the Masters program, he competed in San Marcos, Texas, at the 2022 World Masters Barefoot Water Ski Tournament. This event has three categories: Slalom, Tricks, and Jumps, with athletes from all over the world participating. Danny, at 62 years of age, competed in the 55-64 age category and finished with a bronze medal in the Jump event!
“The Masters program helped me gain strength, mobility, speed and endurance which I credit in helping me podium at the World Masters Barefoot Waterskier Event. Every single workout I did in the Masters program helped prepare me to achieve this goal.” says Danny.
We love to see what our Masters athletes are doing outside of the gym and how the program helps them stay healthy and active so they can continue to do what they love. We are so proud of Danny and his incredible accomplishments in the barefooting world!
