Champions Mojo for Masters Swimmers

You can love swimming and still feel intimidated by the rulebook, the whistles, and the idea of disqualifying someone. That hesitation is exactly why we wanted an on-deck conversation with Chet Gowdy, a USA Swimming deck referee, Masters swimmer, former college breaststroker, and former pro triathlete. He walks us through what a deck ref actually does, what it feels like to run a session from the pool deck, and why meets are always desperate for more well-trained officials.

We also get personal about how people find their way back to the water. Chet shares the detour he...

Molecular biologist, gerontologist and Ultra Marathoner, Dr. Bill Andrews, a pioneer in telomere and telomerase research, sits down with Kelly and makes the case that telomere shortening is the most important clock driving human aging for healthy people and that real “rejuvenation” has to show up in function, not just numbers on a lab report. His blunt standard is the “Betty White test”: can you clearly tell which version of someone is younger by how they look, feel, and behave? 

From there, we get practical for masters swimmers and endurance athletes. Bill breaks down the tug of war betwe...

Coach Kelly Palace shares five rules for swimmers to achieve their personal best.

We break down five repeatable rules Kelly has seen across hundreds of champions, from Olympic swimmers to NCAA standouts to masters legends. We talk about picking a goal that creates real emotional pull, then reverse engineering it into pace targets, meet choices, and bite sized milestones you can execute. We also get specific about the details that matter in masters swimming: which meets count for rankings and records, what to watch for with rules and registrations, and why “fast water” factors like pool depth, temp...

Ever wonder what separates an average swim lane or team from a championship-level squad? Culture isn’t a poster on the wall—it’s the way your team operates on an ordinary Wednesday morning when you're staring at the black line and nobody is trying to be inspirational. In this episode, we sit down with Greg Clink, 3-time Coach of the Year in basketball, who's a leadership expert, to put a real definition around “championship culture” and make it completely usable for Masters swimmers, coaches, and anyone striving for high performance for a team in our out of the water.

A 20-year break doesn’t have to be the end of your swimming story. Kelly catches Christina Campfort right on deck for a high-energy chat that hits on something a lot of former swimmers quietly wonder: can you really come back and race fast again after life happens? Christina’s answer is loud and clear. She’s 44, a firefighter and driver engineer, a mom with a newborn, a former college swimmer at the University of Miami, and she recently returned to masters swimming and won four national titles at the YMCA National Championships.

We talk about the messy...

Fewer than 50 people on the planet have completed the Oceans Seven Challenge. Putting that in perspective over 7,000 people have summited Mt. Everest , Steve “Moby” Leitch is one swim away from being in such an elite club. You can train for months and still get humbled in minutes when the ocean decides to change the rules. After swimming the Strait of Gibraltar from Europe to Africa, elite endurance athlete, Steve “Moby” Leitch, joins us to break down what makes ultra marathon open water swimming so unforgiving: funnelled currents where the Atlantic meets the Mediterranean, tight wind restrictions, and real-wor...

What we if women treated our bodies like a gift instead of a problem to fix? And men you'll want to listen up if you have ever been asked by a woman, do I look fat? You'll get the right answer in this episode! 

After swim practice, we sit down with Stephanie Havelka, a true water woman whose life in sport spans competitive swimming, Kona Ironman, outrigger canoe racing around the globe, surf ski, and even Olympic Trials kayaking. She also happens to be the founder of Sportkini, a swimwear brand built for athletic women who actually m...

We talk with Chris Harris, the Warrior Maker, an elite athlete, author and speaker, who has trained Navy Seals, Green Berets and professional athletes to have tough mindsets. He says it's about mastering the space between stimulus and response so pressure will stop running your life. We break down metacognition, subconscious habit change, and race ready mindset tools that help master swimmers stay resilient and perform on purpose. 

• Chris’s turning point from homelessness to a mission of “sending down the rope” 
• What “warrior” means as mindset rather than combat 
• Slowing down the response and dropping the need f...

After 17 Ironmans, a broken ankle might not feel like a full stop, but for Jane Esahak-Gage it becomes a pivot point. After decades of pushing her body through Ironman triathlon training and racing, she gets one piece of advice that changes her path: get back in the pool. What happens next is the kind of surprise many endurance athletes secretly hope for, a return to movement that feels healing instead of punishing. 

Jane brings a rare perspective as a world-class long-distance triathlete who also thrives in masters swimming. We talk about her biggest triathlon highlights, how she a...

Doug Springer is 80 years old, but looks and swims like he's 20 years younger. He joins us to unpack the swims that led to four world records, including a jaw-dropping 400 IM where he took 17 seconds off the world mark and cleared the national record by 35. If you love masters swimming, training for longevity, or simply want proof that performance doesn’t expire, this conversation delivers real fuel.

We dig into the details that make Doug’s approach so fascinating. He’s a self-described breaststroker, yet he leans into unconventional solutions across strokes, including breaststroke kick during butterfly and a doub...

Doubt shows up for everyone, even the most decorated athletes. We invited bestselling author and two-time TEDx speaker Simone Knego to break down a simple, durable system for building confidence that actually holds under pressure. Her REAL method—respect yourself, embrace your failures, ask yourself what you want, and live without limits—turns confidence from a fuzzy feeling into a daily practice you can train like endurance, breath control, or pacing.

We start by redefining self-respect as the foundation of performance: recovery, sleep, and boundaries that protect your best work. Simone explains how setting limits at home, on t...

Sirens at night, blocks at dawn—this conversation follows Che'Rel, a 26-year-old police officer and lifelong swimmer from Trinidad and Tobago, as she threads two demanding worlds into one life of discipline and joy. We meet her on deck at Nova Masters in Richmond, fresh off a night shift, and explore how race-pace sets, team culture, and a stubborn sprinter’s mindset help her keep purpose front and center.

Che'Rel walks us through the pivot from childhood education to policing, the reality of 6 p.m.–6 a.m. patrols on a busy corridor, and the mental gymnastics required to sli...

Sleep is the most powerful legal performance enhancer you’re not fully using yet. We brought in Derek Hales, founder of NapLab and one of the most trusted voices in mattress testing, to strip away hype and show how smarter choices at night translate to stronger training, faster recovery, and better moods.

We dig into the single biggest mattress mistake—price extremes—and map the sweet spot where quality and longevity meet: a queen in the $1,500–$2,000 range. Derek explains why most athletes thrive on a medium to medium-firm hybrid for balanced pressure relief, spine alignment, and airflow, and when...

26 year-old Bryanna Lacey is fresh off a Masters Meet High Point win and a year into a bold return to the sport she left behind seven years ago after an excellent college swimming career. We sit with her on the tiles at Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Center to unpack what it takes to walk on, walk away, and walk back stronger.

Bryanna started late, carved out high school records, and earned her place at the University of Indianapolis by promising nothing but relentless effort. She battled through a rib injury to post best times and earn a team...

Ready for a great love story? Former national and world-record-holding Masters swimmer Joe Wotton joins us on deck to share the stories, nicknames, and love that shaped a champion’s life in and out of the pool. Joe Wotton, 66 years young, swims for Swim Melbourne Masters—the Mahis—and brings with him a lifetime in aquatics. His journey began in Massachusetts, continued in backyard pools after his family moved to Florida, and grew through high school swimming and water polo. One of the highlights of his early career includes racing at the Florida state championships alongside Olympic legend Rowdy Gaines...

Lauren Anderson proves that speed and joy in swimming are still within reach after 25 years away from the sport. She rebuilt her training from the ground up, and made big time drops in her best events the breaststroke. Her story blends performance insights with honest life change, turning Masters swimming into a blueprint for structure, community, and a fresh start. Lauren is a member of the Palm Beach Masters.

We dig into the practical tools that moved the needle: broken 200s tailored to breaststroke pacing, non-negotiable kick sets to power the second 50, and all-out block work that...

She calls herself a swimming vagabond! The deck at Fort Lauderdale buzzes, and at 70-years old, Peggy McDonnell brings the kind of energy that makes you want to put on your goggles. She didn’t swim in high school or college. She found Masters after a move to Florida, chased a national title in the 200 IM, and shocked herself with an All-American time that arrived like lightning. Then life happened: knee surgery, a finicky neck, and an honest reckoning that made butterfly and breaststroke hard. Instead of stepping back, she pivoted—leaning into the 200 freestyle, rebuilding confidence, and choosing smar...

A special episode to get you in the Christmas spirit! We meet Kirk Clear, a force in U.S. Masters Swimming, an Air Force Veteran and a legend in his Florida community for something entirely different: creating a jaw-dropping, music-synchronized Christmas light display that brings joy to thousands each year. Kirk calls himself a "Crazy Christmas Light Illuminator."

Kirk approaches the holidays the same way he approaches Masters swimming—with discipline, creativity, and a deep commitment to community. While many of us are winding down in December, Kirk is climbing bucket trucks, wrapping 50-f...

It's on deck with Eddie Tiozzo—age 52, former water polo player, and PhD in exercise physiology—to unpack how smart training, strong shoulders, and a dynamic mindset can carry you through decades in the sport. Eddie’s story moves from Croatia and Italy to Florida pool decks as a member of Swim Ft. Lauderdale Masters, and along the way he shows how curiosity and consistency beat rigid formulas every time.

We dig into his favorite events—the 100 back and 100 IM—and the weekly plan that keeps him fast and healthy: four swims of 3–4.5K, two focused gym sessions, an...

Want to know what it takes to get faster with less time and more life on your plate? We sit with AGUA Masters swimmer Eve Maidenberg at the Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Center to unpack how a New York Youth Centered team culture, smart training, and relentless curiosity turned a once-retired age-grouper into a 49-year-old dropping times she never touched at 18.

Eve opens up about AGUA’s unique mix of recent grads and seasoned pros, where mentorship flows both ways and great coaching keeps athletes engaged. We talk venues—Asphalt Green’s long-course pool NE uptown and a 25-yard...

A pool deck can feel like a second home, and today’s conversation proves why. In this brand New episode we chat with attorney and masters swimmer William Robinson at the Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Center to trace a life shaped by laps: early lessons in New Haven, Connecticut with Olympic great Don Schollander, a joyful return sparked by his daughters, and a training rhythm that blends endurance heart with sprint ambitions. William shares the open water feat that tested his grit—a nine-mile lighthouse swim—and explains why the 50 free still calls his name as he chases speed, craft, and lo...

On deck in Fort Lauderdale at the 2025 Fall Classic Meet, Host Kelly Palace interviews International Swimming Hall of Famer and Masters Swimming Icon, Tim Shead as we explore how a missed shot at the 1976 Olympic Trials became the spark for a lifetime of learning, longevity, and dozens of world records. Tim’s story is a lesson in patience, training culture, and the quiet power of choosing meaningful swims over hollow wins.

We trace his path from Florida age-group lanes to the University of Pennsylvania and three decades in South Africa, where he sharpened his approach to nutrition, re...

Brand New episode! What if the missing link in your recovery isn’t another supplement or stretch, but energy at the cellular level? We sit down with Dr. Zulia Frost—medical doctor, researcher, and co-founder of Recharge Health—to unpack how photobiomodulation, neuromodulation, and sound can help your body heal faster, perform better, and sleep deeper without side effects.

Zulia’s story is a powerful one: a devastating car accident, spinal fractures, and paralysis in her right leg. Conventional care saved her life, but it was targeted red and infrared light, gentle nerve stimulation, and a disciplined movement...

What if the thing you’re avoiding is the doorway to your best self? In this fan favorite encore episode: that’s the challenge Brian Bergford accepted when he took a lifelong panic response to water and turned it into masters swimming medals, national podiums, and a practical playbook for courage you can use today.

We sit down with Brian—peak performance coach, certified dog trainer, and author of Transformational Dog Training—to unpack the crucial difference between fear and phobia and the wise way to tackle both. He shares how a simple motive bigger than ego, broken d...

One of our very favorite episodes on how to train, taper, and thrive in Masters Swimming. In this encore show we sat down with world record masters swimmer and veteran swim journalist Jeff Cummings to map out a smarter path to speed: focused training, practical tapering, honest recovery, and habits you can sustain with a full-time job and a full life. Jeff opens up about training alone and still finding intensity, the “exercise sets” that harden race finish, and why four quality days plus one true recovery swim beat mindless yardage every time. Everyone wants to know how to tape...

What if your 60s are your prime? We sit down with Janet Carbin—a CBS Survivor Season 39 favorite, veteran swim coach, and one of the few female chief lifeguards in the country—to unpack the mindset, training habits, and nutrition choices that keep her strong in open water and in life. Janet brings a rare mix of humility and edge: she earns respect by doing the work, leads by example, and shows how authenticity can be a competitive advantage when the clock doesn’t lie. And Janet loves Masters Swimming!

Janet breaks down the mental models that carry...

In one of our favorite episodes as an encore we find out: What does it really take to move from 300 pounds to a 9:15 Ironman without losing your love of great food and a full life? We sit down with chef-turned-triathlete Will Liebig to unpack the habits, community, and mindset that reshaped his health over a decade. Will is open about the grind: he swapped isolation for master swimming, built cycling and running tribes, and embraced the 80/20 training rule—keep 20 percent truly hard, keep 80 percent easy. The gains came not from punishment, but from patience.

Food is a hi...

What happens when a perfect Florida swim turns into a fight for your life from a 9-foot alligator grabbing onto your arm? In this riveting encore episode, Masters Swimmer Rachael Lilienthal takes us stroke by stroke through her 2015 alligator attack, the breath that steadied her in a death roll, and the unlikely chain of strangers who became heroes with a kayak paddle, a firm grip, and a medical-grade tourniquet. From river chaos to a trauma bay within an hour, the details are visceral, human, and unforgettable.

We talk about the kind of resilience...

What does it take to win national swimming titles while working chaotic ER shifts and raising a competitive family? In this encore episode, we sit down with masters legend and ER physician Kurt Dixon to unpack the habits, mindset, and simple systems that keep him fast at 54—and grounded through real-life storms. Kurt’s résumé is staggering: 100+ U.S. masters national wins, world records, the Triple Crown of Marathon Swimming, and Ironman finishes. Yet his playbook is refreshingly unfancy: repeatable sets, six days a week in the water, no strength training, and a taper built on broken 200s to spa...

In an encore presentation, we sit down with Dr. Colleen Hacker, Olympic mental performance consultant and author of Achieving Excellence: Mastering Mindset for Peak Performance in Sport and Life, to unpack the real tools champions use when it counts. No fluff here—just clear methods backed by science and forged in the fire of world-class competition.

We start by redefining confidence as a moving target and show how to build it by fixing your focus. If you’re replaying missed sessions, old results, or an opponent’s best times, your attention is fueling doubt. Dr. Hacker shares a prac...

Hello friends, it’s Kelly. You may have noticed I’ve been away from the show for over a month—the longest break I’ve taken in more than seven years of podcasting. The reason is deeply personal: my father passed away in August at the age of 95. I’ve spent these weeks with him, with family, remembering him, celebrating his life, and navigating the bittersweet gift of grief.

In this episode, I want to honor my dad, who first taught me how to swim. Through his simple “swim to Daddy” lessons on Lake Barcroft, he gave me som...

Jennifer Comfort is a USAT-certified triathlon coach, Ironman triathlete, and open water swim observer whose approach to performance blends endurance, mindfulness, and a deep respect for inner stillness.

Jennifer didn’t start her journey as a seasoned pro. In fact, during her first triathlon 20 years ago, she basically dog paddled through the swim, terrified to put her face in the water. Today, she’s a multiple-time Ironman and 70.3 finisher, a Boston Marathon qualifier, and a respected coach guiding adult athletes at all levels. She leads open water swim workouts on the Columbia Rive...

This episode has one of the best comeback stories ever! It's filled with genuine emotion and inspiration and will have you thinking about the purpose of your next swim.  Matt Moseley — a man whose life is fueled by purpose, storytelling, and water. From boardrooms to backstrokes, Matt is not just a world-record open water swimmer, but also a strategic communications expert, environmental advocate, and author of his recently released book, Soul is Waterproof.

By day, Matt runs the Ignition Strategy Group, guiding high-stakes campaigns for clients like Johnny Depp, the Colorado Senate, and American Rivers. By sunrise, he...

Ready for an extraordinary tale of athletic longevity? At 73 years old Rick Colella's swimming journey spans from Olympic medals to over 50 Masters World records, proving that athletic excellence knows no age limits.

Colella's remarkable career began with a fourth-place finish at the 1972 Munich Olympics, followed by a bronze medal in Montreal in 1976. But what happened after his Olympic glory makes his story truly exceptional. While most elite swimmers hang up their goggles after reaching competitive peaks, Colella never fully left the water. This consistent connection with swimming—even during his decades-long Boeing career—has become his secret weap...

When life throws its hardest challenges—divorce, injuries, the loss of a beloved parent, and the relentless pace of a demanding career—what keeps a champion going? For Sara Henninger Dunn, it’s the unshakable mindset she’s honed since her days as a collegiate All-American swimmer and her enduring relationship with the water. In this inspiring episode of Champion’s Mojo, Sara shares how a fierce mental toughness, built from years of competitive swimming, helped her navigate life’s toughest lanes with grace and resilience.

Sara opens up about rediscovering swimming after a 20-year break, how the pool bec...

On May 26, 2025, Lewis Pugh completed one of his most daring feats yet — a 60-mile swim around Martha’s Vineyard in icy, shark-filled waters. Undertaken to coincide with the 50th anniversary of movie Jaws, Lewis’s swim was a powerful statement to change the narrative about sharks and raise urgent awareness for ocean conservation. While this swim captured headlines, the deeper story lies in Lewis’s relentless mission to protect our planet’s most fragile ecosystems.

 Foundation Donate - Lewis Pugh Foundation https://share.google/TiQxzkHvb6vlQd2NF

In this powerful re-release of one of our most inspir...

Pro Swimmer, Author, Screenwriter, Becca Mann's journey redefines what it means to be a swimming prodigy who grows beyond the confines of early success. At just 10 years old, she completed the 15K Maui channel, becoming the youngest to do so. By her teens, she was a seven-time US National Team member and two-time national champion. But after narrowly missing Olympic qualification three times, Becca made the courageous decision to step away from competitive swimming altogether.

What happened during those five years away from racing forms the emotional core of our conversation. Becca speaks candidly about needing to...

Do you have a streak going? Laurie Hug, retired professional triathlete and masters swimmer, shares her 34 year streak, training wisdom and remarkable journey from the deck of YMCA Masters Nationals Championships in Orlando. Her approach to swimming, coaching, and competition showcases how consistency, smart training, and positive mindset contribute to athletic longevity and continued success at the highest levels. Laurie is a member the 1776 Masters and swims in the 60-64 age-group.

Laurie List:

• Coaches swimmers of all levels in the Philadelphia area with 1776 team
• Recommends swimming at least three times weekly for beginners to make...

A disqualification that turns into one of swimming's most viral moments. A champion brought to his knees in tears as officials strip away his victory. And a redemption exactly one year later that proves sometimes, the universe does give second chances.

NC State NCAA All-American and ACC Champion in the mile (1650), Owen Lloyd's journey from heartbreak to triumph embodies everything we love about sports comebacks. After winning the mile at the ACC Championships during his senior year, Owen experienced the crushing disappointment of being disqualified for inadvertently falling into a competitor's lane during celebration. The moment – captured on...

Nancy Steadman Martin is the only woman in the world, over 70, to break 21 minutes in the 1500 freestyle! What does it mean to be truly unstoppable at 70? Steadman Martin embodies this question as she continues to shatter world swimming records while maintaining a thriving career as a senior law partner. Her remarkable journey defies every notion about aging and physical limitations. She's also a mermaid--really! hIc3Qts4TFYqJBKxLkAP

Nancy's swimming resume reads like a fantasy novel: world records in the 800 and 1500 freestyle (70-74 age group), swimming the English Channel in record time for women over 50, completing the coveted...