The SwimSwam Podcast

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In the SwimSwam Podcast dive deeper into the sport you love with insider conversations about swimming. Hosted by Coleman Hodges and Gold Medal Mel Stewart, SwimSwam welcomes both the biggest names in swimming that you already know, and rising stars that you need to get to know, as we break down the past, present, and future of aquatic sports.

Episodes

Tuesday Jul 21, 2020

SwimSwam Podcast: How Does Katie Hoff Build Swim Strength on Dry Land?

Tuesday Jul 21, 2020

We sat down with Olympic medalist and world champion Katie Hoff, who has stayed busy during this quarantine. Not only has her TikTok game been on point, but she has also started a new dryland swim program, Synergy Dryland. Hoff talks us through how she came to appreciate swim-specific training outside of the pool in her later years of the sport, and how dating a football player (now her husband) helped her change her perspective.

Music: Otis McDonald
www.otismacmusic.com

Monday Jul 20, 2020

SwimSwam Podcast: Michael Chadwick on Finding the Positives

Monday Jul 20, 2020

I sat down with world champion Michael Chadwick and spoke with him about how he’s handling staying indoors with very limited swim training. Chadwick emphasized that it feels like life has slowed down a bit, and with it he’s trying to take the time to do what he can. That could mean taking walks with his wife, reflecting on where swimming fits into his life, or even looking to what his next step might be after swimming.

Originally published on March 30, 2020.

Monday Jul 20, 2020

SwimSwam Podcast: Matt Grevers on Why Quarantine Will Benefit Older Swimmers

Monday Jul 20, 2020

We sat down with backstroke master Matt Grevers, who is currently on a training trip in Columbia, Missouri, where he's able to swim and be coached by his brother, Andy, the head coach at the University of Missouri. Grevers talked to us about how he's stayed motivated and fit during this quarantine period, and mental and physical hurdles he's had to get over or still trying to clear.

Ultimately, Grevers does think taking time out of the water could be a good thing for older swimmers, as he thinks they don't need the kind of intense conditioning to be back to race-ready form that younger swimmers may require. And as a fun tidbit, Grevers threw in the race that felt the best in his career, which may surprise you.

Music: Otis McDonald
www.otismacmusic.com

Sunday Jul 19, 2020

SwimSwam Podcast: Beata Nelson on Collegiate, Olympic, Pro Swimming

Sunday Jul 19, 2020

Beata Nelson was expected to have a monster NCAA's, from fans, coaches, and herself. She says she wanted to break barriers, and obviously repeat her triple-crown of events from last year. Since the NCAA hasn't come out with a statement on where they stand on giving winter sport seniors an extra year of eligibility, Nelson is unsure of what her future looks like moving forward.

But in the meantime, she's cooking for her family and working on her 6-pack.

Originally published on March 27, 2020.

Sunday Jul 19, 2020

SwimSwam Podcast: Dartmouth Swim on 'The Zoom Call That Said it All'

Sunday Jul 19, 2020

Last week’s announcement by Dartmouth College that they would be cutting their men’s and women’s swimming & diving programs, along with their golf teams and men’s lightweight rowing team, isn’t the first time that the school has tried to drop its aquatics team.

In 2002, Dartmouth announced the elimination of its swimming & diving teams as well. That was a simpler and smaller time in college athletics, though, where the program’s budget was just $212,000. These days, fundraising thrice that amount in some cases can’t even get a conversation with an athletics director. We had '04 Dartmouth swim alum Priscilla Zee give her take on how that affected her as an athlete and student, and what she thought might change moving forward.

However, when Dartmouth swimmers did get an audience with the school president via Zoom, the results were disappointing. Sophomore Connor Bishop and Senior Maggie Deppe-Walker recapped the call, saying after they felt ultimately discouraged to even try to revive their swim program.

Music: Otis McDonald
www.otismacmusic.com

Saturday Jul 18, 2020

SwimSwam Podcast: Kierra Smith on Training in 12m Pool

Saturday Jul 18, 2020

Canadian Olympian Kierra Smith talks through the details of continuing to "train" during the coronavirus pandemic. Having to come back to her hometown of Kelowna, British Columbia from her training base in Minneapolis, Smith has been relegated to swimming in a private, 12-meter pool. With these restrictions, she's basically only able to do skulling, drills, and technique work. Smith also talks through spending time with her family, the potential of an Olympic cancellation (which materialized after this conversation), and completely revamping her stroke technique.

Originally published March 24, 2020.

Saturday Jul 18, 2020

SwimSwam Podcast: Why Matt Biondi Almost Didn't Go to the 1984 Olympic Trials

Saturday Jul 18, 2020

We sat down with Olympic icon Matt Biondi, to dive into his story as a late-blooming athlete and advocate for financial improvement among swimmers. It is common knowledge that Biondi was a late-comer to swimming, but we didn't realize that leading up to the 1984 Olympic Trials, Biondi almost didn't go altogether, as he didn't see himself making the team and wanted to go camping with a friend instead.

However, his coach Nort Thornton urged him to go to just to get the experience, and Biondi agreed. He placed 8th in the 200 free, but surprised himself and everyone else when he finished 4th in the 100 free, making the US Olympic team as a member of the 4x100 free relay.

Music: Otis McDonald
www.otismacmusic.com

Friday Jul 17, 2020

SwimSwam Podcast: Sergio Lopez on Olympic Postponement

Friday Jul 17, 2020

We sat down with Virginia Tech head coach Sergio Lopez, who spoke about the shock that everyone felt when the NCAAs were ultimately cancelled. Lopez, who is still currently coaching a group of post-grads training for the Olympic Games out of a private pool in Virginia, also shared his opinion on whether or not they should postpone the Olympics. Lopez thinks that health needs to come first in this situation.

With so many athletes unable to train for the time being and the numerous health concerns and hazards that could arise at a Games in Tokyo while the Covid-19 outbreak could still very much be thriving, Lopez believes the Games should be postponed.

Originally published March 20, 2020.

Friday Jul 17, 2020

SwimSwam Podcast: Dave Salo on How to Turn Science into Speed, and Make it Fun

Friday Jul 17, 2020

We sat down with Dave Salo, the man at the helm of Southern California since 2007 and the guy who everyone wants to swim with because, let's face it, he makes a boring sport fun.

Salo talks about his development through swim, starting with his own swimming days and how he didn't really like it because he just went back and forth and didn't get a whole lot out of that. Once he started coaching, he started to do things his own way. You take a desire for fun combined with a scientific approach (PhD from USC) and what you get is the Salo style.

Music: Otis McDonald
www.otismacmusic.com

Thursday Jul 16, 2020

SwimSwam Podcast: IU Senior Cassie Jernberg on NCAA Situation

Thursday Jul 16, 2020

Cassie Jernberg is a senior at Indiana who, like many, saw her season cut short. She was in a unique position where she had not come all the way down for conference and was targeting NCAAs as her primary meet of the season, but was planning on ending her career after that meet (and NOT planning on training for & competing at the 2020 Olympic Trials). So losing that final NCAAs was certainly a blow.

However, Jernberg shares that even though not having her final meet was sad, this past season was the best of her career, and nothing can take that away from her.

Originally published March 20, 2020.