Adolph Kiefer was up on a ladder, painting his kitchen ceiling at his home in Rising Sun, Md. when he heard a knock on the back door.

"This man walks in and says, 'I'm Birch Davidson from Lancaster, Pa., and I'd like to know if you'd like to come and swim at our club in an exhibition,' " Kiefer remembered.

Before answering, Kiefer told this stranger to pick up a paint brush.

"He helped me paint the kitchen!" marveled Kiefer, recalling the story. "Then I told him I'd swim in his exhibition."

That was the start of a wonderful friendship, one that continues to this day.

Besides a knack for house painting, there is something else that binds these two men, both of whom have reached the age of 90.

It's water, or swimming, to be exact.

Davidson was a proficient swimmer as a youngster, but it wasn't until he reached his 50s that he became one of the top competitive swimmers in his age group in the United States.

For more than 30 years, including last year at age 89, Davidson has competed in Masters Swimming championships, and he has enough medals and plaques to fill a small pool.

For his accomplishments, Davidson received the George W. Kirchner Memorial Award at the Lancaster Old Timers Athletic Association banquet Tuesday night at Lancaster Catholic High School.

The honor is voted on and given by the Lancaster Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association.

Davidson sought out Kiefer, who was one of the top swimmers in the world. He had won the gold medal in the 100-meter backstroke at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin.

Kiefer, who lives in Chicago, remembered one particular Masters National Championship in 1994 in Tempe, Ariz. when Davidson captured five gold medals. He also set three national records in the 75-80 age group.

"Birch has been an inspiration to everyone," Kiefer said. "He's proof that age has nothing to do with achievement.

"All you have to do is think of Dara Torres, who just competed in her fifth Olympics. But Torres had a lot of assistance. In Birch's case, though, he's doing it all on his own. He does it because of his love of swimming."

Davidson began swimming competitively in high school and later at Franklin & Marshall College. After graduation, he concentrated on his work at what was the Daffin Corporation and is now Zimmerman Industries in Ephrata.

While on the road on business, Davidson would try and stay at hotels with indoor pools. Soon, his competitive swimming juices started to flow and he looked for meets for people his age.

He competed in national YMCA events as well as national Amateur Athletic Union events.

The U.S. Masters Swim Championships gave him a chance to see how he measured up with some of the better swimmers in the nation.

He measured up, all right.

Here are some of Davidson's highlights:

• Broke the world record for the 50-meter freestyle long course for 70-75-years olds;

• Held records in the 50-meter butterfly, 100-meter individual medley and the 400-medley relay;

• Has won 41 YMCA national swimming championships;

• Has won 45 U.S. Masters Swimming Association championships;

• Has been named to the Masters Swimming Association All-America team more than 15 times;

• He's a member of the Franklin & Marshall College Hall of Fame and the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame and the Pennsylvania Swimming Hall of Fame.

Golf has been one of Davidson's loves, too, and he's won several tournaments through the years, including the Lancaster Country Club championship.

Davidson was a long-time early-morning regular at the YMCA pool. He does most of his swimming now at the Kunkel Aquatics Center at F&M's Alumni Sports and Fitness Center.

He's had to take a break from training, however, to have a hip replacement. When he recuperates from the operation, he intends to get back into the water.

"Swimming is pretty hard to beat for conditioning," Davidson said.

Pretty hard to beat. That was Birch Davidson, particularly if he was in the next lane at a swim meet.

E-mail: kfreeman@lnpnews.com