Sue Bertelmann

Hawai'i Sip 'n' Swim Club Sue Bertelmann

"So, how'd you come to be in Hawaii?"

The women of the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel's water aerobics class often find themselves answering this question. Arriving in Hawaii at different times, from different countries, each has her own fascinating tale to tell.

One woman survived the horror of the London Blitz, while another almost drowned at the hands of an abusive husband. One learned to survive in the backwoods in the "Dirty Thirties," while a fourth had a close encounter with a mob boss. One grew up in the north of Canada; another learned to swim in the English Channel. All of the stories uniquely trace how fate inevitably led each woman to live on a tiny island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

Between them, the ladies of the Hawaii Sip 'n Swim Club have experienced most of the twentieth century, had thirteen husbands (including an FBI most-wanted con man), and lived numerous adventures full of humor and tragedy. Laugh and cry your way through their stories, and don't be surprised if one day you find yourself on the Big Island. Just be sure to try the water aerobics class-who knows whom you'll meet!