By Nathan Shriberg
As a lifelong entrepreneur, Mitch Berliner didn’t expect to add swimming champion to his resume.
Berliner, who lives in Potomac, Maryland, has spent decades operating a variety of businesses in the food industry. Over the years, he’s run restaurants, ice cream shops, farmers markets and specialty food distribution companies.
The 77-year-old’s success through six decades in the industry paved the way for him to be inducted into the Specialty Food Association Hall of Fame in 2025. However, it took just one year for him to make the Greater Washington Jewish Sports Hall of Fame as a decorated swimmer.
In 2015, Berliner received a Maccabi USA newsletter, which sought participants for the upcoming Pan American Maccabi Games in Santiago, Chile. Berliner called MUSA and asked a simple question: “What is the slowest time that I can aspire to so maybe I can make the team?”
Prior to the phone call, the father of four children and six grandchildren only had recreational swimming experience. So he decided to compete in the 50-meter freestyle, so “no one can lap me.” But as soon as he mentioned his age, he was immediately on the team.
Over the phone, Maccabi USA organizing committee General Chairman Lou Moyerman gave Berliner two conditions to compete. First was that he could swim the full distance, which Berliner guaranteed.
“And the second promise was… you’ve got to guarantee you can do that without having a heart attack,” Berliner jokingly recalled. “And I told him, I feel pretty confident I can make that promise as well.”
Once he decided to join the team, Berliner began to train for his first swimming competition since 8th grade. The 1970 graduate of American University has remained involved with his alma mater, which led him to connect with Beth O’Connor Baker, a member of the Eagles’ swimming and diving coaching staff and a former 10-time All-American collegiate swimmer at the University of Virginia. O’Connor Baker observed Berliner in the pool and came to a quick assessment after just 25 yards.
“She said, that’s pretty good, but you’re doing everything wrong,” Berliner said. “And I couldn’t believe it. So I really worked hard to change my muscle memory and I still am.”
Part of that hard work was learning other strokes. Berliner trained 3-5 times a week, completing a variety of drills and learning the backstroke, butterfly and breaststroke. After months of vigorous preparation, the Plainview, New York, native traveled to Chile for the 13th Pan American Maccabi Games in the winter of 2015.
Originally, he planned to just swim the 50-meter freestyle and turn the rest of the trip into a vacation with his wife, Debra Moser. Instead, Berliner destroyed the competition, taking down swimmers more than 20 years younger than him. The instant success prompted him to register for four other events. By the end, he collected four gold medals and one silver medal.
“And I thought, oh, I must be a better swimmer than I think I am,” the co-founder of MeatCrafters and Central Farm Markets said. “And all the other Master(s) swimmers turned to me and said, you’re hooked, pal.”
In the decade since, Berliner has been a regular at masters swimming competitions across the country in addition to the Maccabi Games.
This summer, Berliner will make his ninth trip to Israel to once again represent the United States at the 2026 Maccabiah before returning to South America for the 2027 Pan American Maccabi Games in Uruguay.
Nathan Shriberg is a sophomore Sports Media major at Indiana University. He is a sports editor and men’s basketball reporter for the Indiana Daily Student. You can follow him @NShriberg on X.