The SwimSwam Podcast

https://feed.podbean.com/swimswam/feed.xml

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

Thursday Dec 31, 2020

SSPC: Lani Pallister Breaks Down What It's Like Having Your Mom as Your Coach

Thursday Dec 31, 2020

We sat down with Jr World and Pan Pac champion, Lani Pallister. Lani is just coming off a very successful short course championships where she broke the Australian record in the 1500. Pallister talks about how her recent move to train with Michael Bohl, along with her mom, has gone thus far and leading into those championships. Pallister has been coached by her mom from a young age and explains the ups and downs that can come with your mom being your coach.

Music: Otis McDonald
www.otismacmusic.com

Wednesday Dec 30, 2020

SSPC: How Kate Douglass' Club Coach Wanted to Change How Club Swimmers Train

Wednesday Dec 30, 2020

We sat down with Carle Fierro, the head coach of Westchester Aquatic Club. She explained her philosophy on training club swimmers, which might differ from a typical, high-yardage program. Carle has had successful age swimmers at young ages, including current Virginia super-star Kate Douglass and breakout 13-year-old Claire Weinstein.

You can check out what a week of Carle's training looks like here.

Music: Otis McDonald
www.otismacmusic.com

Wednesday Dec 30, 2020

SSPC: Zane Waddell Discusses Retiring From Lack of Funding

Wednesday Dec 30, 2020

We sat down with World, NCAA and SEC Champion Zane Waddell. Waddell recently announced his retirement, to the surprise of many, as the Olympic year is around the corner and he seems to be in his prime. Waddell discussed not being able to financially support himself with only swimming and why he wasn't able to make the trip to Budapest to compete in the ISL as he had planned.

Waddell has stayed exceedingly optimistic throughout this process however and is embracing his new journey into the corporate realm of finance as his new challenge in life. He expresses extreme gratitude for everything swimming gave him, especially the relationships. Waddell is excited to give back to swimming in the future while wearing a different kind of suit.

Music: Otis McDonald
www.otismacmusic.com

Tuesday Dec 29, 2020

SSPC: Dean Farris, Harvard Coaches Break Down Ivy League Training, Tradition

Tuesday Dec 29, 2020

We sat down with Swimming's favorite Harvard swimmer, Dean Farris, along with the head and associate head coaches of the Harvard Men's swim team, Kevin Tyrrell and Sam Pitter. We started the conversation by getting a good look into what training has been like for the Harvard men this semester, which is very different than a lot of other college programs we've talked to.

I think one of the most exciting parts about the Harvard swimming tradition is the HYP (Harvard-Yale-Princeton) tri-meet at the end of January, effectively the start of the 6-week taper for Ivy League Championships and NCAAs. Dean, Kevin, and Sam all give their take on what makes HYP such a fun and exhilarating event.

Music: Otis McDonald
www.otismacmusic.com

Monday Dec 28, 2020

SSPC: What Ally McHugh Learned From Watching Race Video of Ariarne Titmus

Monday Dec 28, 2020

We sat down with National champion and Olympic hopeful, Ally McHugh. Ally documents what her training has been like in and out of the water since quarantine began when she was actually on a training trip at the Olympic Training Center. McHugh has become a student of the sport, trying to pick up tricks and tips in any way she can. This includes watching race video of her competitors, like Ariarne Titmus. McHugh describes what her takeaways were from Titmus and how she has implemented them into her training.

Music: Otis McDonald
www.otismacmusic.com

Sunday Dec 27, 2020

SSPC: Becca Wyant Details Carving her Own Path to Become a Swim Photographer

Sunday Dec 27, 2020

We sat down with swim-photographer extraordinaire, Becca Wyant. Becca has documented World Championships, US Nationals, and Pro Swim meets all over the country and photographed swimmers all over the globe. Becca's origin story is similar to many who now work in the swim industry: it started with swimming. But the rest is very unique in that Becca worked to follow her passions and carve her own path for herself, seeking fulfillment through creativity in whatever she was doing. This led her to a position at FINIS, one that evolved over the years and allowed her to get behind not only a computer screen but a camera as well.

Music: Otis McDonald
www.otismacmusic.com

Saturday Dec 26, 2020

SSPC: Pavel Sankovich on What Makes Swimming Sustainable for Young Swimmers

Saturday Dec 26, 2020

We sat down with Pavel Sankovich, the Belarusian swimmer who just had his 2nd child. Pavel takes us through how fatherhood changed his perspective on swimming as well as how he's tried to get back into the water the last several months. He's carried this new perspective into the pool as well as his teaching as he coaches young swimmers full-time. Sankovich also recalls highlights and stories of his career, detailing the intense training he put in while living in Europe and the US.

Music: Otis McDonald
www.otismacmusic.com

Friday Dec 25, 2020

SSPC: Claire Curzan Wrote Down '56 100 Fly in Greensboro' Before it Happened

Friday Dec 25, 2020

We sat down with Olympic hopeful and NAG record slayer, Claire Curzan. Curzan has been ON one this quarantine, dropping best times seemingly every time she hits the racing blocks. Most notably, she registered a 56.6 100m fly at the US Open site in Greensboro, becoming the 3rd fastest woman in the event in American history. Curzan breaks that swim down, revealing that she actually wrote down '56 100 fly in Greensboro' in her goal journal before the meet even happened.

Music: Otis McDonald
www.otismacmusic.com

Thursday Dec 24, 2020

SSPC: Emily Seebohm Shares Hilarious Story of Nearly Losing Olympic Relay Spot

Thursday Dec 24, 2020

We sat down with Olympic, World, Pan Pacific, Commonwealth, and basically any other major competition you can think of champion, Emily Seebohm. Emily has obviously had an illustrious career, one that started when she was only a young teenager, being a member of the Aussie national team at 14. Seebohm takes us through many paths of her career, including competing with Energy Standard in the last 2 ISL seasons, major ups and downs she has had throughout her career, and how trying to buy a bicycle almost lost her spot on the 4x100 medley relay at the Beijing Olympics.

Music: Otis McDonald
www.otismacmusic.com

Wednesday Dec 23, 2020

SSPC: How Can You Maximize Your Holiday Training Dryland?

Wednesday Dec 23, 2020

Chris Ritter, the founder and CEO of Ritter Sports Performance and SURGE Strength, is my go-to for dryland training. With holiday training coming up fast (aka Hell Week), Chris shares his insights and provides some FREE education assets for swimming coaches. Holiday training is always crucial, perhaps more so after the 2020 pandemic year. The work done, the base built, will determine whether or not swimmers hit their personal best times next spring and summer. Get ahead of the curve and arm yourself with the right dryland information here:

SURGE Strength – https://www.surge-strength.com/
SURGE Strength Dryland Certification – https://www.surge-strength.com/certification/
SwimSwam Articles by Chris – https://swimswam.com/training/surge-strength-dryland-training/
SURGE Strength Podcast – https://wavve.link/rittersp?__s=x0dcybu65xrgfh0qi1st

Swimmers and Coaches can get FREE access to the newest Dryland 101 Course in the SURGE Strength Academy: Dryland At Home.

Chris Ritter is the CEO of Ritter Sports Performance, a SwimSwam partner.

Music: Otis McDonald
www.otismacmusic.com