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

Thursday Jan 07, 2021

SSPC: Claire Adams on Processing the Loss of her Olympic Dream

Thursday Jan 07, 2021

We sat down with Claire Adams, the University of Texas NCAA All-American who announced her retirement from swimming this past summer. Adams discusses her time at Texas and hits on the big learning curve she went through to make her senior season in particular so special. She also delves into her high school days at Carmel Swim Club in Indiana.

Specifically, we discuss her 2016 Olympic Trials, a meet that heading into, she was a top contender to make the US Olympic team. However, she broke her hand days before the competition and wasn't able to match her top form. Adams sifts through the huge loss this was in her life and what it took to bounce back from that.

Music: Otis McDonald
www.otismacmusic.com

Tuesday Jan 05, 2021

SSPC: Kaylee Mckeown Describes 21-Day Training Blocks with 17-on, 4-Off

Tuesday Jan 05, 2021

We sat down with SwimSwam's 2020 Female Swimmer of the Year, Kaylee McKeown. McKeown re-wrote half of the Australian backstroke record book last year, setting new national records in the 100 and 200 backstrokes long course and the 200 backstroke short course. That short course record of 1:58.94 was also the world’s fastest-ever swim in the event, breaking Katinka Hosszu’s 2014 world record of 1:59.23. At the 2020 Queensland Championships (LCM), McKeown threw down a 57.93 to become just the second person to ever dip under the 58-second mark after Regan Smith‘s 57.57 world record from last year. Being the second-fastest ever to an American means that the swim was good enough to set a new Australian, Oceanian, and Commonwealth record.

McKeown takes us through her 2020, as well as her training style since the end of 2018, which doesn't go by weeks, but rather by 3-week periods. Within each 21-day cycle, Mckeown says she trains for 17 of those days in a row and then gets 4 days off.

Music: Otis McDonald
www.otismacmusic.com

Tuesday Jan 05, 2021

SSPC: Baylor Nelson Breaks Down Super-Competitive North Carolina Swim Scene

Tuesday Jan 05, 2021

We sat down with Baylor Nelson, the #2 recruit in the high school class of 2022. Nelson tells us about his training during quarantine and his love for swimming that has been fostered since a young age. Nelson has had some phenomenal swims recently, most notably his epic battles with fellow North Carolina-native Sam Hoover in the 400 IM and 200 IM.

Music: Otis McDonald
www.otismacmusic.com

Monday Jan 04, 2021

SSPC: Maxime Rooney on Competing at a High Level Under Pressure

Monday Jan 04, 2021

We sat down with Maxime Rooney, the ISL newbie who made a big impact this season for the LA Current. Maxime breaks down the season in Budapest, detailing the ups and downs of competing in a 6-week bubble. He also shares about his personal day-to-day, including the importance of cooking, which he also documents on his Instagram as "Maxime's Meals". Rooney finishes by talking about racing under pressure, a topic in which he references an interview with James Guy about the dominance of his British teammate, Adam peaty.

Music: Otis McDonald
www.otismacmusic.com

Sunday Jan 03, 2021

SSPC: Claudio Battaglini on the Benefits of Staying with One Coach for a Long Time

Sunday Jan 03, 2021

We sat down with Claudio Battaglini, the coach and father of age-group breakout swimmer Luca Battaglini. Claudio has been a coach of elite athletes for decades, originally training the world's top triathletes in his home of Brazil. He eventually got his Ph.D. and became a teacher and researcher, letting coaching go to the wayside a bit. However, as his son started to become a better and better swimmer, he started to get involved on deck and is now training a small group in North Carolina.

Music: Otis McDonald
www.otismacmusic.com

Friday Jan 01, 2021

SSPC: James Magnussen Explains What Went Wrong at the 2012 London Olympics

Friday Jan 01, 2021

We sat down with World champion James Magnussen... again. We had already spoken with James before but only got through the first year of his career on the international stage. So this time we covered another couple of years, including the lead-up to the 2012 Olympic Games. After his big breakout at the 2011 World Champs, Maggie says he had no major racing until the 2012 Aussie Olympic trials, where he dropped a legendary 47.10, the fastest time swam in a textile suit at that point by a longshot.

Maggie admits that this swim hid some of the doubts he had at the time about his Olympic prep and therefore he just continued on in the same fashion. Maggie also says that even though it wasn't his best race, he's extremely proud of his silver medal performance in the 100m free final in London.

Music: Otis McDonald
www.otismacmusic.com

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