Hidden Stories: Diving In at 85 - Bismarck Woman Wins Gold at Senior Games

For 85-year-old Jacque Schauer, the water has always been home. She first dipped her toes into a swimming pool at the age of six, and nearly eight decades later, she’s still making waves.

Jacque, the wife of the late Verdun Schauer, a former BEK Communications Cooperative Director, has carried her love for swimming through every season of life. By age 12, she was competing across the state with the Bismarck swim team in the 1950s. At 15, she swam her way into the North Dakota Junior Olympics, setting a record in backstroke. Around the same time, she met Verdun. By 19, the two eloped and began what would become a 61-year marriage, raising four children on their family property in Sterling.

Throughout their marriage, Jacque never hesitated for an opportunity to swim. “I was always the one in the water with the kids. All the other parents were on the beach getting sun tans,” she laughs. But life took a turn when Verdun was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

For 16 years, Jacque devoted herself to caring for Verdun until his passing in 2019, and that included a move to Bismarck. She spent all her time caring for her husband, so before he died, Verdun told her: “Take care of yourself and get back to doing the things you really enjoy.” At first, Jacque didn’t think much of those words. But a few months later, she found herself back in the pool doing water aerobics and swimming laps.

Then one afternoon, while visiting with her grandchildren, Jacque was asked, “What’s next on your bucket list, Grandma?” She said the only thing that came to mind: to swim in the North Dakota Senior Games. With her grandchildren cheering her on, Jacque began making plans and found a couple coaches. “I had to remind them that I was an 85-year-old woman,” Jacque laughs. But with encouragement and adjustments to her technique, Jacque was ready for competition.

On August 15, 2025, Jacque traveled to Fargo for the North Dakota Senior Games, and she wasn’t alone! To her surprise, 41 friends and family, some from as far as California, arrived on a chartered bus to cheer her on. “The organizers of the Senior Games told me they’d never seen a support group that large for one athlete,” Jacque said.

She swam in four events: the 50-yard freestyle, 50-yard backstroke, 100-yard freestyle, and 100-yard backstroke. Though she was the only competitor in her 80s, she raced against swimmers in their 70s. With every race, her crowd roared from the stands. “How could you not be happy looking at this huge crowd cheering you on? I think they had more fun than I did!”

By the end of the day, Jacque had captured gold in all four events. “I wasn’t looking to set any records,” she said. “I just wanted to swim for myself, and for Verdun. I hope he was there and that he’s proud of me.”

What’s next for Jacque? She’s not making any promises but admits the National Senior Games next year would be fun. “We’ll see how my body does,” she said with a smile. “A lot can change in a year when you’re 85.” Perhaps Verdun always knew that one thing was for certain: nothing and no one can keep Jacque Schauer out of the water.