The SwimSwam Podcast

We sat down with the world record-holder in the 50 free and now the FORMER world record-holder in the 100 free, Cesar Cielo, to get his perspective on sprinting in the world today. Cesar admits he wasn't ecstatic about 17-year-old David Popovici breaking his 13-year-old 100 free world record, but he also wasn't sad about it. He reveals what he see's in Popovici's technique, starts, and kick that can make him even more of a lethal threat on the international stage. Cielo also gives a look into the mind of an athlete who is at the top of the world, perhaps lending perspective on what 5x 2020 Olympic champion Caeleb Dressel may be going through after pulling out of the world championships this summer. And finally, Cielo predicts if we will ever see a 45-second 100 free as well as when he thinks his 50 free world record will finally go down.

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss Simone Manuel moving to ASU to train with Bob Bowman, Dave Durden taking over as Head Coach of the Cal Women, and Highlights from the start of Jr Pan Pac Championships.

For nearly four decades I've heard about or experienced firsthand the fallout of dysfunctional leadership at swim clubs. Club boards splinter or run amok. Bad coaches go rogue. Good coaches suffer at the hands of egotistical board members. Every situation imaginable occurs. The worst is when you learn a club board never really managed the oversight of a team's finances, and suddenly the entire swim team is on red alert fearful the pool doors will be locked. Renata Porter is a swim business expert with a focus on youth sports clubs. Her company provides actionable guidance and support to help clubs to shift from old mindsets to running their clubs like a business. Renata helps to put clubs on the path to positive operational outcomes. She's hands-on, a true end-to-end partner. In sum, she gets to the heart of whatever the issue is and offers actionable solutions.

The International Olympic Committee’s docuseries “72 - A Gathering of Champions” is a treasured gift for Olympic fans. It’s a new and intimate window into Mark Spitz and his stunning performance at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich.

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss David Popovici's surprise world record in the 100 free, the other standouts from European Championships, and the upcoming Duel in the Pool.

We sat down with Mel Marshall, head coach of the UK High-Performance Centre in Loughborough and most well-known for being the coach of Adam Peaty. Marshall takes us through how she coaches and motivates all of her athletes both in and out of the water. She walks us through what kinds of sets work for each athlete in her group and what it takes to consistently perform at a high level. She also explains why Peaty has always had an affinity for long course, how she got into coaching in the first place after her swimming career, and the first time she thought Adam could go 57 in the long course 100 breast.

Bowman gives great insight into what Popovici does well in the water and where his development could take him. He then proceeds to discuss Regan Smith moving to ASU and what that will look like for her future in terms of training. Bowman also touches on his rapidly growing Post-grad group after the addition of Chase Kalisz, Jay Litherland, and Sierra Schmidt (in addition to Smith) and the development of Leon Marchand from Olympian to NCAA champion to 2x world champion in both IM events this summer.

We sat down with 3x Olympic medalist, 7x world champion Katie Hoff to discuss a big topic, especially for teenage women in swimming: Going Pro versus competing in the NCAA. With Olympian and world champion Regan Smith announcing her decision to turn professional after competing at Stanford for one year, we wanted a perspective from someone who had made this decision and seen how it played out in their career.

We sat down with recently crowned 2022 World Champion in the 50 breast, Ruta Meilutyte of Lithuania. Ruta dives deep on a lot of topics, first of which is being back in major international competition for the first time in 3 years and managing to medal in both of her events. We then work backward through her dealing with an eating disorder, learning how to take care of her mental health (starting that process just months before the Rio Olympics), and serving a 2-year suspension from racing for missing 3 doping tests. Ruta is candid in her responses and shares knowledge that has come after over a decade at the highest level of competitive sport.

We sat down with Stanford head coach Greg Meehan to discuss the departure of Regan Smith from Stanford after 1 year to turn pro and go train with Bob Bowman at Arizona State. Meehan is candid as he shares his disappointment and sadness to see Smith leave the Cardinal, not only as an athlete but as a teammate and friend to the rest of the women under his mentorship. But he also shares that even though he doesn't necessarily agree that leaving is the best thing for Smith to do, he understands that she thinks it is the best thing for her career, and Meehan respects and honors that. We also talk to Meehan about how he's dealt with pros turning a new leaf and leaving the Stanford program in the past, why he decided to train Torri Huske for the 400 IM, and what his life is like now that he isn't preparing to be the head Olympic coach.

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss Regan Smith and others moving to ASU to train with Bob Bowman, the fairness of NCAA 5th years, and not "fully tapering" for 2 years.

We sat down with Ariarne Titmus, the 4x gold medalist at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Titmus explains how her life has changed since the Tokyo Olympics where she won 2 gold medals in the 200 and 400 free, specifically how there is much more outside pressure to perform. However, Titmus says she's pretty good at blocking it out most of the time, which showed with the freestyle aces performances in the UK. Titmus successfully defended her Commonwealth titles in the 400 and 800 free as well as added 200 free gold to her resume this week. Titmus says looking toward the Paris Olympic Games, she's more motivated than ever. "I've experienced those absolute highs at the Olympics. You can't really describe it once you've experienced it and you want to experience it again and again and again. I think that's my motivator now."

We sat down with Adam Peaty, the breaststroke legend that most recently has completed his long course gold medal collection with a 50 breast win at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Peaty discusses the devastation of missing the podium in the 100 breast in Birmingham and how he bounced back to not only medal in the 50 breast, but win the only title that had eluded him his entire career.

We sat down with Katie Grimes, the youngest Olympian from the 2020 Tokyo team and most recently the double silver medal winner in Budapest. Grimes admits that while she is pleased with her two 2nd place finishes in the 400 IM and 1500, she isn't satisfied. Grimes is looking toward the 2024 Olympic Games and winning gold in Paris, with such a laser focus that she has decided with her coach, Ron Aitken, that she won't fully taper for a meet until then (not even world championships). Grimes also discusses how she improved in training and racing since last year at the Olympic Trials and the Games themself, where she placed 4th in the 800 free. The young distance swimmer has also started dipping her toes into open water, competing in the 10K in Budapest as well as preparing for the upcoming open water Jr World Champs in September.

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss Kyle Chalmers' reaction to Australian tabloid media, Adam Peaty missing a 100 breast podium for the first time in nearly a decade, and the Australian women surprise smashing the world record in the 800 free relay.

SwimSwam is back with the 2022 Commonwealth Games fantasy draft. Listen in as Braden, Ben, Loretta, and Coleman all try to draft the ultimate Commonwealth Games team ahead of the Games in Birmingham, which start Friday.

We sat down with Bella Sims, the 17-year-old Olympian who anchored USA's 800 free relay in Budapest to gold with a massive 1:54.6 split. Sims breaks down her 200 free race strategy, how she kept her cool while anchoring both prelims and finals relays, and how she prepped in training for her lone event in Budapest. Although she got 3rd in 3 different events, Sims had a great World Trials, going 4 PBs including a time trial of the 200 fly. She is following up her world champs performance with a Duel in the Pool debut, where she will be a part of the 4x800 open water relay and hopes to get the chance to swim the broken 400 and 800 free individual events.

SwimSwam sat down with 15-year-old 2x world champion Summer McIntosh ahead of her Commonwealth Games debut in Birmingham next week. McIntosh (pronounced Mac-In-Tosh, as told by Summer) described her mentality at the 2022 World Championships and analyzed her historic performances in the 400 free (4th woman to break 4:00, silver medal) and the 400 IM (world champion at 15 years old). Part of the young Canadian’s success is her eagerness to race the best, being energized by performing for the crowds on the biggest stages and getting to step on the blocks next to names like Katie Ledecky and Ariarne Titmus.

We sat down with 3x 2022 European Jr Champ and 2022 world champs bronze medalist, Ksawery Masiuk. The 17-year-old Polish backstroke has quickly risen the ranks as one of the premier talents in the world, posting PRs in Budapest of 52.5 and 24.4 in the 100 and 50. Just days later, he turned around and won both events in Bucharest (Euro Jr Champs) as well as the 200 back (PR 1:56.6) and went a PR in the 100 free (48.3) leading off Poland's bronze medal mixed 400 free relay. Masiuk discusses what his training is like back in Warsaw, saying he typically does 5-6k per practice with a blend of 200 pace and sprint work. He also reveals that he doesn't like having time goals because it would put unnecessary pressure on himself; he just tries to have fun when he swims. Masiuk will be back in action at the 2022 European Champs in August which will take place in Rome, swimming the same lineup of 50-100 back that he did in Budapest. Masiuk plans to attend NC State in the United States, but not until after the 2024 Paris Olympics.

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss the upcoming Commonwealth Games entry lists, the Duel in the Pool rosters for both USA and Australia, and Olympian Emma Weyant potentially leaving Virginia.

6-time Olympic medalist and Speedo Athlete, Ryan Murphy, is happy with his 2022 World Championships performance. Apparently the GOAT Michael Phelps is as well. Ryan shared that Michael sent him a nice text after the competition. In this podcast, the 4-time Olympic gold medalist confesses his awareness of his even-year success rate (thanks to his data-driven brother), talks Speedo backstroke tech suit development, and he unpacks what he thinks it’ll take to be in the hunt for gold at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

We sat down with world champion Torri Huske, fresh off of her 100 fly win in Budapest. Huske takes us back to Tokyo where she finished 4th in the 100 fly final and how that motivated her this entire year to come back on top. Part of that preparation came in the form of 400 IM training, which Huske says really helped her on the back half of her races, which she felt were lacking. Huske also discusses her love/hate relationship with the 50 free, her NCAA lineup, and managing an enormous event schedule throughout a 6-8 day championship meet.

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss the USA's newly announced 2023 competition schedule, our reactions to FINA's dates for the 2024 World Championships, and standout swims and swimmers from the 2022 European Jr Championships.

We sat down with newly minted bronze medalist and world junior record holder in the 200 IM, Leah Hayes. The 16-year-old member of Team USA walks us through her experience in Greensboro, Croatia, and Budapest that all culminated with a 3rd place finish at the 2022 World Championships. Hayes explains her training style and how she focuses on all strokes to keep her IM and mid-distane-free sharp. Leah also dives into her Alopecia diagnosis and how she has embraced her lack of hair as a result. Hayes says our differences make us who we are and you can see the confidence that the young swimmer now has in and out of the pool.

I’ve known Jack Bauerle 34 of his 50 years at the University of Georgia. It’s been from the sidelines, and one hard fact has shone through. Jack’s always been invested in the future milestones and successes of the swimmers who have passed through his program. Success in the pool was just one part of the process, the relationship. This is evidenced by the University of Georgia’s swimming alums, who are impressive. (Chris Brearton, as one example, was a UGA breaststroker from the 1990s, and he's now the COO of MGM Studios and USA Swimming’s current Board Chair.) Jack has been a force in the sport and his recent retirement caught me a little off guard. I don’t like the idea of attending a meet and Jack not being on deck. I’m thankful Jack took the time to do this podcast. We do cover a lot of ground. Jack details his journey in the sport, the coaches who mentored and inspired him, and he hints at what his future might hold. For the unofficial Mayor of Athens it sounds like his experience and wisdom will be put to good use.

We sat down with Elijah Winnington, the Dean Boxall-trained mid-distance star who won his first 400 free world title in Budapest. Elijah discusses what has changed for him by moving to St. Peters to train with Boxall at the end of 2020 both physically and mentally. He also breaks down his race plan for the 400m free final, which ultimately concluded with him clocking a 3:41.22 for the win.

Author Michael Loynd has found narrative gold in his book, The Watermen: The Birth of American Swimming and One Young Man's Fight to Capture Olympic Gold. The narrative centers around Charles Daniels, USA Swimming’s first gold medal winner at the Olympic Games. Charlies is a complicated athlete with a dysfunction upbringing. Once you dive into his journey you won’t be able to put the book down. The historical context of the 1904 and 1908 Olympics and what swimming did for our nation will surprise you.

We sat down with Mollie O'Callaghan, the Australian youngster who won 6 medals at the world champs in Budapest. She describes her experience last year in Tokyo swimming and how swimming on only prelims relays kept her motivated heading into 2022. O'Callaghan also reveals that she was not originally a freestyle specialist, her 100 and 200 only coming around to a world-class level in the past 2 years.

We sat down with Lilly King, the newest world champion in the 200 breast. King describes in vivid detail how she realized she had COVID just days after the world trials in Greensboro and subsequently had to take a week out of the pool completely. Throughout most of her career King has had easy speed, but getting back into the water this time it was her endurance that felt the most honed in. Moving through the championships, King found peace with where she was at, taking pride in placing a narrow 4th in the 100 breast and beating 1 competitor in the final of the 50 breast to take 7th. A strange sensation for Lilly, the 200 was where she felt the most confidence in Budapest. King describes her strategy for that final as "I was trying to out-race everybody".

We sat down with Todd DeSorbo, the head women's coach for the 2022 World Championships team. DeSorbo takes us through the 3 weeks that began in Croatia with USA's "training" (taper) camp and ended with USA winning the most medals of any country ever at a single world championships. DeSorbo breaks down specifics on how he keeps his energy up through long 8-day meets, his role as a head coach, and relay selection for Team USA. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

We sat down with NBC's Nick Zaccardi, who interviewed most of Team USA's athletes at the world championships just seconds after they finished competing. Zaccardi, who almost exclusively works on the written side of news, was asked to step into this on-camera role last minute and welcomed the challenge. He explains how he moved through the week and what tips and tricks he was able to pick up along the way. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

We sat down with Justin Ress, the newly crowned 2x world champion in Budapest who went through a lot to earn those gold medals. Ress takes us through his perspective on getting DQ'ed in the 50 back final after touching first and then being told it was overturned after the medal ceremony. Ress also goes deeper into his swim history and explains that his senior year of college, he was not a health athlete outside of the pool and was close to retiring after the 2021 Olympic Trials. ISL is what kept him in the sport and motivated him to keep reaching for his goals and become a better athlete in and out of the pool. After just 3 months of training, Ress went all best times at the US Trials in April, then came to Budapest and walked away with his first (and second) world title. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

We sat down with double silver medalist in both IM's in Budapest, Carson Foster. Foster takes us through his first LCM world championships and describes the work that he's been putting in towards his mental stamina, specifically in the 400 IM. This work paid off, for even when he was passed by Leon Marchand at the 250 mark of the race, Foster kept a level head and ultimately touched for 2nd in a huge PB of 4:06.5, just .3 off of his goal time for the summer. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss our World Champs fantasy draft, the most intriguing storylines from Budapest, and the rest of the summer moving forward.

We sat down with Lani Pallister, the newly minted 1500 world champs bronze medalist who had her meet cut short due to testing positive for COVID. Lani has been able to keep a positive attitude through it all but doesn't hold back in saying she was very down about missing the 800 final which she had qualified for. However, this isn't the first time in the last couple years Lani has dealt with adversity. She details developing an eating disorder as well as having a heart condition in the lead-up to the 2021 Olympic Trails. After not making the team, she found out she had Mono during the meet. Pallister was ultimately out of the water for 4 months after Trials dealing with all of these variables and more. Pallister details how she made it back into the water and got herself on her first world champs podium just a few months later. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

Newly crowned 2022 800 free world champion Bobby Finke explains what the focus of his daily training is like. It's not about focusing on swimming a certain event - it's about focusing on winning. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

We had American relay legend Jason Lezak on during our live stream of the 2022 World Championships, and he gave his thoughts on the 4x100 free relay today vs when he swam on it for Team USA.

Ryan Held, who won relay gold in 2016 then missed every other LCM champs since, got his redemption swim, splitting 46 and earning gold again.

We sat down with Agustina de Giovanni, the director of mental performance and culture for the DC United soccer team. Don't be fooled by her role however, Agus is a born and bred swimmer with chlorine in her blood. She was a 2x Olympian and 12x national champion for Argentina as well as an NCAA All-American for the University of Alabama, all in swimming. She talks to SwimSwam about her philosophy on training athletes for high-performance on the mental side of things. Agus describes her strategies for combining the mental and physical aspects of training to make a complete athlete who can perform at the highest stage. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

Chris Lindauer is the new Peterson Family Head Swimming Coach at Notre Dame. He joined the SwimSwam podcast to discuss that title and his new job in South Bend, Indiana. Chris was a long-time assistant coach at Louisville under Arthur Albiero but is stepping into his first head coaching role with the Fighting Irish. In this discussion, we talk about the differences as a head coach and what he's learned from one of the best in the business. One of the first things Chris has done to help with the transition is to hire two trusted assistants in Kameron Chastain and Kelsi Dahlia. He talks about not only what makes them the right fit, but also such great assets to the program. Chris also gets into some specifics about sets. He talks about a go-to 100-pace set long course as well as some fun sets, including one vertical kick challenge that many coaches are sure to steal. As a family man, he discusses finding the balance in life with so many priorities. He also points out the benefits that family can bring to your coaching. There is a ton of great stuff to take away from this 40 minutes or so with Chris Lindauer. Enjoy! SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

SwimSwam did a fantasy draft for the 2022 World Championships to see who's team of All-Stars will score the most points in Budapest (according to our scoring system). Head to SwimSwam for full details and updates on who's team comes out on top.

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we preview the upcoming World Championships and play Sink or Swim with Katinka Hosszu Being in Paris, if Super Suits were Still Legal, and much more. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

We sat down with 2020 Olympic medalist Claire Curzan, who is currently with Team USA at their world champs prep camp in Croatia. Curzan gushed about how nice the location is, noting the food and people were both on another level. She also spoke to her preparation as she heads into this world champs with 4 individual events (plus relays) to tackle over the course of the 8-day meet. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

Chris Jones is the Head Coach of the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. He started the program in 2008 and since then they've put a ton of athletes on international teams, including 5 Olympians. His group of about 35 stood out at British Trials in April and on this podcast he discusses the culture focus points that lead to their great performances. We also discuss the role that the university athletic system is playing in the success of British Swimming and Chris helps me understand how the Universities operate when it comes to student athletes, competitions and scholarships. A great glimpse at terrific program that maybe you haven't paid attention to before. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Olympic champion Michael Andrew, who is currently in Croatia with Team USA as they prep for the upcoming world championships. Andrew gives us the scoop on how training camp is going for him and what his "USRPT taper" looks like as well as what working with coaches Todd DeSorbo and Eddie Reese is like. Andrew speaks to the fine line that is towed by athletes of being teammates yet competing for the same spot on a relay, a situation he will encounter multiple times throughout the course of these championships. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

Mike Stephens was recently named the Head Coach at the University of Hawaii and joined us on the SwimSwam podcast to talk about it. In this chat, Mike discusses how the lifestyle and swimming roots in Hawaii make it one of the best jobs in the country. He talks about how his servant leadership will help him lay the foundation of a successful culture at his new program. We get into how he was able to change the culture at Boston College and lead them to 170 school records, including over 40 this last season. He seems poised to bring that momentum to Hawaii where there is a lot more support for high level performance. It sounds like a great fit and makes for another chance to learn from one of the bright young minds in our sport. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

Don Muchow is a 60-year-old triathlete and Ironman living with Type 1 diabetes who after completing a 2,800 mile run across America last year to raise awareness for diabetes is about to perform a new feat: a 10k swim around Key West on June 18. Muchow is building up to the full 12.5-mile swim that will take him around the entire island of Key West. The Texas native has been training for the swim several hours a day between the Gulf Coast and Miami, all while managing a chronic illness. Living with Type 1 diabetes means Don has to monitor his glucose levels 24/7 to make sure they’re in a healthy range because his body doesn't regulate glucose on its own. To do so, Don uses a Dexcom G6 continuous glucose monitor (CGM), a small wearable device that monitors his glucose levels in real-time and sends alerts directly to his smartphone and Garmin smartwatch if his levels are too low or too high, incidents that can be life-threatening. Since Don will be in the water, his kayaker and wife will use the remote monitoring technology to keep track of his glucose levels while he swims to make sure he’s safe and has enough energy to get through the race, giving everyone peace of mind that his diabetes is under control. Don doesn’t let diabetes stop him from accomplishing his biggest goals; instead he uses them to motivate others who may face similar difficulties and inspire them to break their own barriers. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss Jack Bauerle's retirement (this was recorded before the announcement of Stefanie Moreno-Williams and Neil Versfeld as new head coaches), Katie Ledecky saying she will bypass Duel in the Pool, and Kyle Chalmers playing in the Aussie Football League. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

2020 Olympic silver medalist and Team Speedo athlete Erica Sullivan injured her shoulder, which is why she missed the U.S. International Team Trials. However, in this podcast she confirmed she is fully back to good health. She said "I'm in the weight room," and she did snap a gold (1500 free) and a silver (800 free) at the recent Mission Pro Swim. We cover a lot ground in the pod, from training to film school to Pride Month. Erica joked she's not a Pride Month parade type person, explaining that it's a little too hot to be outside in Austin, Texas. (SwimSwam HQ is in Austin, and it's over a 100 degrees this entire week!) Erica's Pride Month support is live and active on GoFundMe supporting Out Youth Austin. (Out Youth Austin is a 501(c)(3) who's mission is to promote the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of sexual minority youth in Central Texas so they can openly and safely explore and affirm their identities.) Follow Erica Sullivan on Instagram here. Many thanks to our partner Speedo for making this pod happen. Follow Speedo USA on Instagram here. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Kelsi Dahlia, the first woman to ever break 50-seconds in the 100y fly and the current world record holder in the 100 fly (SCM), to discuss her switch in careers. Dahlia announced her retirement from swimming last week, then just days later announced she would be joining the coaching staff of Notre Dame under Chris Lindauer, one of Dahlia's former coaches at Louisville. Dahlia breaks down what factors contributed to her retirement and what she will miss most about being a professional athlete. She then discusses her first week in South Bend and what she's looking forward to while being a part of the Fighting Irish. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com