To Save His Own Life, He Took Up Swimming.
Teddy Roosevelt’s fifth cousin opted for a more low-key kind of exercise in order to stay in shape. It wasn’t until Franklin D. Roosevelt was afflicted with polio at age 39 that he took up swimming. FDR was unable to walk due to his condition, but he understood that water may help support his frail body.
After a few months of swimming three times a week, he was able to stand for brief amounts of time again. FDR was such a big fan of swimming that he had a 50-foot-long pool built inside the White House, which is still there. What 20th-century president almost became a football star? Keep reading to find out.