Just Keep Swimming (And Moving) With Arlette Godges

Bringing Physical Therapy Perspective To The 2025 Senior Planet Sponsored Athletes

Arlette Godges of Santa Barbara is one of the 2025 Senior Planet Athletes | Photo: Courtesy

Staying on the move never stops, especially not for Santa Barbara athlete and physical therapist Arlette Godges. The 61-year-old from Zurich, Switzerland, was named a 2025 Senior Planet Sponsored Athlete, where she has already taught a live session and will be writing articles and offering advice to seniors looking to stay on the move. Godges is a lifelong athlete and a five-time Masters Swimming world record holder, and also a physical therapist with a practice in Santa Barbara. Now, she’s extending her work to an even wider global audience through Senior Planet.

“It has been an honor to be chosen because I think it’s important to bring research-based and motivational wellness to people,” said Godges about her goals through Senior Planet. “It’s crucial that people keep moving. It’s crucial for their physical health and their mental health.”

As a whole, Senior Planet is a nonprofit that offers training and resources for seniors across five key areas. The Senior Planet Sponsored Athletes are a small team of ambassadors who are chosen to inspire seniors across the country to prioritize healthy habits. Godges’s recognition as one of these ambassadors is a reflection of her lifetime commitment to exercise, sports, and movement, both in her own lifestyle and in her job working with others.

Her start in sports came at a young age in Zurich. When a pool was built near her home, she gravitated towards swimming and eventually attended UCSB for undergrad, where she swam on the D1 team. Godges’s shift to physical therapy came after a debilitating accident — she broke both arms before the 1984 Olympics and had to take a step back from sports. Her time working with a physical therapist inspired her to make the career path shift.

Arlette Godges shows off some of her Master’s Swimming Medals. | Photo: Courtesy

Now, she works as a physical therapist with specializations in orthopedic and geriatric physical therapy.

“I really instill hope and a strategy with [people] on how they can be better and be more sustainable in their longevity and their health span,” Godges explained. “So that they can do the things they want to do for longer, and more easily.”

One of her favorite parts of the job is being a part of people’s exercise journey, whether it’s starting again or working towards a specific goal. She pointed out that insurance can only cover so much for seniors, hence the need for physical therapy. And what makes Senior Planet so special for both her and many others is its plethora of free resources — including videos, articles, and links — to help support seniors at all ages and stages of their fitness.

Her work as a physical therapist has translated into her work as a Senior Planet ambassador where she’s already taught one online class which was focused on balance, joint protection, and movement patterns that can be applied to other classes or exercises. Having the basics makes it easier to continue moving forward.

But she’s no stranger to teaching in a class setting and has taught various in-person classes in Santa Barbara and while travelling for sports. Still, she said she was pleasantly surprised to see a number of participants join from around the world.

“[Older adults] don’t do things because they’re afraid of falling or getting hurt,” Godges said. She continued to explain that this fear then leads to a lack of movement, which inevitably leads to a faster decline in health.

Godges is also very active on her Instagram @ageupwell where she regularly posts short exercise and informational videos to encourage seniors to keep moving. It also creates a space for learning with one another.

Arlette Godges of Santa Barbara is one of the 2025 Senior Planet Athletes | Photo: Courtesy

“It’s like having somebody in your back pocket that gives you attainable exercises and programs to do that are fun and show improvement,” Godges said. The exercises that she discusses on her Instagram are “safe and actually allow people to get stronger, more agile, and have better balance.”

Godges emphasized the importance of belonging to keep a person exercising. That’s part of what makes Senior Planet so special — it allows people to feel connected with one another and give them a community of learning and growth. Through Age Up Well, her work as physical therapist, and through Senior Planet, she’s had the opportunity to work with people at all ages on their individual goals.

“I love to see people thrive; I love to see them doing really well into old age. I love them recovering and going back to the things they love to do,” she said. She will continue her work as an ambassador through live presentations and exercise sessions as well as publishing articles through Senior Planet about her journey and any tips for staying active.

At the same time, she’ll continue on her swimming journey. For Godges, swimming is her reset and meditation. She’s been training for the World Aquatics Masters Championships in Singapore this July and is looking to defend her championships.

For more information about Godges and the other 2025 Senior Planet Sponsored Athletes, visit seniorplanet.org. Godges can also be found on her Instagram, @ageupwell.