January 10, 2025 • 16 mins
In this compelling interview, Allison Hayden, a 53 year old multi-national champion swimmer with the St. Pete Masters, shares her journey and triumphs as a versatile athlete excelling in multiple disciplines. Known for her prowess in the 200 butterfly and middle-distance freestyle, Allison dives into her unique training regimen, discussing the mental challenges of training alone in the Maine winter and her approach to maintaining motivation.
Allison’s swimming story is as multifaceted as her strokes. From her college career at UNC Wilmington, where she studied marine biology and trained alongside future Olympic coach Todd DeSorbo, to her post-college transition as a professional triathlete and open-water swimmer, she has consistently pushed boundaries. A defining chapter of her journey includes swimming with a college club team at age 34 while coaching and training alongside younger athletes, proving age is no barrier to high performance. Her passion for open-water swimming shines, with her favorite event being the 10K, a challenge she embraces for its mental and physical demands.
Top 5 Questions Answered in the Interview
- How do you win a high-point award at a meet?
- What’s the secret to training alone and staying motivated?
- Is it possible to train effectively in unconventional settings, like a small pool or alone at sea on a ship?
- How can a swimmer transition between sports or stages of life and maintain peak performance?
- What draws swimmers to open water events, and why is the 10K Allison’s favorite?
Email us at HELLO@ChampionsMojo.com. Opinions discussed are not medical advice, please seek a medical professional for your own health concerns.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
All right, I'm doing an on-deck interview with
Allison Hayden of the St PeteMasters and Allison and I have
been swimming in the same LMSCfor many years and I've always
admired her swimming.
She can swim basically anything, but is especially known for
being a 200 flyer.
Great middle distancefreestyler.
She's a multiple-time nationalchampion.
(00:22):
So we are in North Charlestonat the Short Course Meters meet
in December of 2024.
So, allison, how was your meet?
It was pretty good.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
considering swimming eight events in two days, a lot
of them back-to-back, with likefive minutes rest, I'm happy
with what I could do.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Yeah, every time I looked up, you were swimming,
which I did not do eight events,but I I've heard a rumor you're
going to get high point, uh,which my husband is getting high
point too.
So, you people who did eightevents, that's a lot.
So, um, talk to us about howyou're training right now, um,
in this part of the season, andwhat, what might be up for you
(01:03):
for 2025?
.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Well, training's kind of hard right now as I I summer
up in Maine and, being December, for some odd reason, I'm still
up in Maine and training upthere is pretty much by myself
and it's a mental battle day today.
But I I've been swimming sinceI was four years old so I'm
pretty used to the mental gameof swimming and I like to push
myself and I know how to do it.
(01:34):
I look forward to getting backto Florida so I can draft off
some people, get my mind to rest.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
Yeah, mark, and I call that getting on the
conveyor belt when you have agroup to swim with, but talk to
us about winning the battle oftraining alone.
So this would be great.
A lot of our listeners do haveto train alone.
So how do you motivate yourself, and how many times a week and
how much yardage?
Because I think training aloneis something that a lot of
masters run into, but it's justhard to kind of execute yeah,
(02:05):
well, I generally shoot for thefeeling I get after the workout.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
You know the endorphins, just feeling proud
that you got in, etc.
It does take me about five toten minutes to get in.
I sit there and wonder why I'mdoing this.
I have to remind myself andmore or less when I get through
the warm-up I'm all right and,being an experienced swimmer, I
(02:31):
know what I need to do.
My butterfly is a little bitoff now and I know exactly why.
Because I haven't been doing alot of butterfly and once I get
in that groove and severalrepetitions of doing 50's
butterfly on a pretty hardinterval, that makes a good 200
(02:52):
fly Training wise.
I try and hit it 5 times a week, about 4,000 yards.
I'm very fortunate I have apool that is not used very much.
I always have my own lane.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
That is one of the beauties of training alone, when
I say I train alone, I am alone.
Like the whole pool to yourself.
Yeah, I love it.
So you talk about yourexperience.
I love knowing that you didswim in college at the
University of Wilmington yeahUniversity of Wilmington.
University of North Carolina atWilmington.
(03:35):
University of North Carolina atWilmington Sorry, you swam at
the University of North Carolinaat Wilmington and you've had a
brush with greatness, like ToddDeSorbo was your fellow coach,
because you were.
Was this, tell us tell?
Speaker 2 (03:49):
us your connection to that.
He was actually a fellowswimmer behind me a couple years
, but okay, so Todd's a littleyounger than you but he was a
fellow swimmer behind you so umyeah, I just seen that name when
he became like the Olympiccoach.
I'm like, wow, isn't thatthat's.
That's special that that was myfriend in college many years
(04:10):
ago yeah, that's really cool.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
So UNC Wilmington is a.
It's a smaller school but has alot of great pedigree.
I mean, a lot of great coachescome out of it and um, you,
obviously, you know, are one oftheir legends.
I've heard, that's what I'veheard, but what?
Speaker 2 (04:32):
was your transition like from college swimmer to
master swimmer?
Well, after college I became aprofessional triathlete.
I found a passion for openwater swimming and it was a lot
easier for me.
So I fell into that realm oflike doing triathlons and I
think was about 18 years andnever really did any master
(04:56):
swimming until that career wasdone.
Then I had a second collegecareer at age 34, 35.
Whoa, tell us about that.
So one of my best friends, KyleSage, he was my triathlon coach.
He began a program at St LeoCollege which is just north of
(05:16):
Tampa, and to become a collegeteam you have to start as a club
team and I was living in thearea we were neighbors because
he was my triathlon coach and Iwas basically like, what's next?
And he's like, he asked me tocook, he goes, just come be a
swimmer on the team and that waskind of a second college career
(05:41):
.
I was after the triathlontraining I'm like, oh, swimming,
swimming's a lot easier.
I don't have to bike, I don'thave to run and I was doing
these insane workouts, justgoing in, doing repeat thousands
day in, day out With thecollege team.
There is a few very talentedpeople that could keep.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
How old were you at this point?
Speaker 2 (06:03):
34.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
34.
So was it you were swimmingwith the college club team or
the?
Did you have any NCAAeligibility left, or what was
the oh?
Speaker 2 (06:13):
no, no eligibility left.
I burnt that out at Wilmington.
I was basically helping themcoach and I'd just get in the
water and swim.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
And when you swam with those college kids did it
kind of amp your swimming up itdid.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
It made me realize, like after doing triathlon and
I'm just like that was a verydifficult sport, very difficult
time of life, very competitiveand it's hard to put into words,
but uh, that that college,second college career fueled me
(06:51):
up.
I was back doing my collegetimes.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
Wow, yeah, that's crazy.
And in college, what were yourbest events?
Speaker 2 (07:00):
500,000 mile at championship meets Nice.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
Okay, so you went to UNC Wilmington to study marine
biology, right yeah, and thentell us about where that
education took you and yourcareer.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
I graduated, ended up working a few years down in the
Everglades National Park.
After that, I got involved inthe environmental field, working
with marine mammals, took a jobwith the oil company working
with compliance, which wasinteresting because this was
(07:40):
after my triathlon career, whenI became a triathlete.
I was a triathlete, that's allI did.
So working with the oil company, I worked on a ship, I was out
at sea for one month and I wason land for one month.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
So that was a very different lifestyle.
I did that for about eightyears and it just kind of like I
felt off kilter, like I have mywork friends and I come on land
and I'm like, what do I do?
It was hard to keep uprelationships and friendships
(08:18):
and swimming-wise.
We did have a little tiny poolon the ship and I used to tie
myself up and just Do aresistance band Swim for hours
on end.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
No way you had a little pool on the ship and you
swam on a resistance course.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
And I worked very long days 12 to 14 hour days and
at least two to three times aday when I was having stress
relief, I'd just go get in thepool, strap the band on.
(08:55):
That is so cool and there was aweight room and I really I got
pretty buff.
Yeah, you're still pretty buffIf I wasn't working.
I was working out and eating alot.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
Okay, so how did you end up at St Pete Masters and
tell us about that?
Speaker 2 (09:12):
Well, right after after college, I did an
internship with the state ofFlorida, which is right there by
North Shore Pool, where the StPete Masters are, and I would go
swim at lunchtime and I justmet all these amazing people and
just like, eventually I thinkit was 2020, I'm like I want to
(09:36):
get back into Masters.
So I moved down there.
I knew it was a good communityfrom triathlon and from the
swimming during that time.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
You moved back down there from where.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
I was in New Jersey.
That's a whole other story.
Okay, okay, that's where myboyfriend's from.
So I was in New Jersey.
That's a whole other story.
Okay, okay, that's where myboyfriend's from.
So I was up there Because withmy job I could live anywhere.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
So I did a lot of moving around.
That's nice, take advantage ofthat.
So you also did a lot of recentopen water swimming with St
Pete right, I mean, you know, inthe last 10 years.
Speaker 2 (10:14):
Yes, I pretty much.
I wanna say it was like 2014,.
I started trying my hand out inopen water swimming again and
got a little fanatic.
I was going all over everywhereand I found the 10K.
That's my event.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
I enjoy it.
Wait 10K in open water is yourevent.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
If I have to pick an event, that's the event I'd pick
.
I'm pretty good at it.
It gives me time to think and Idon't know I enjoy it.
Speaker 1 (10:53):
See, my husband, mark , does a lot of recruiting of
people that he thinks I shouldinterview, so he came home from
this meet yesterday morning.
He's like you need to interviewAllison Hayden.
She swam a 10K in an hour and36 minutes.
And Zena and I'm like wait,wait, what?
So tell us about your fastest10K, and was it really an hour
and 36 minutes?
(11:14):
Because we were like maybe itwas a down river fast swim which
wouldn't be unheard of.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
That's a little bit off.
I would say it was.
It's my best.
10k is about two hours and 17minutes.
That's still very fast If youknow open water swimming.
The Olympians are the one manprior, about two hours a little
bit under.
Yeah to 1.50.
Speaker 1 (11:34):
Thanks, mark for the compliment.
Yeah, thanks Mark.
Yeah, no, mark, yeah, but yeah,that's really great.
So what was your favorite?
Speaker 2 (11:43):
10K that you've done.
I've been going back and doingthis one in barbados for about
the last seven years.
Well, there were.
There was a hiatus after covid,like a year or two, but yeah, I
go back every year that I can.
There's a group called thejersey girls and group called
(12:10):
the Jersey Girls and it startedabout, I'd say, like five or six
people and we've grown to about36 approximately people.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
Nice, individual.
Okay, sounds like they'regetting ready to give you your
high point award.
We're wrapping up the meet here.
We got the guy in thebackground on the and uh.
So thank you so much forspending the time with me me and
look forward to seeing youaround.
Congratulations on all you'vedone, thank you.
All right, I'm doing an on-deck interview with
Allison Hayden of the St PeteMasters and Allison and I have
been swimming in the same LMSCfor many years and I've always
admired her swimming.
She can swim basically anything, but is especially known for
being a 200 flyer.
Great middle distancefreestyler.
She's a multiple-time nationalchampion.
(00:22):
So we are in North Charlestonat the Short Course Meters meet
in December of 2024.
So, allison, how was your meet?
It was pretty good.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
considering swimming eight events in two days, a lot
of them back-to-back, with likefive minutes rest, I'm happy
with what I could do.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Yeah, every time I looked up, you were swimming,
which I did not do eight events,but I I've heard a rumor you're
going to get high point, uh,which my husband is getting high
point too.
So, you people who did eightevents, that's a lot.
So, um, talk to us about howyou're training right now, um,
in this part of the season, andwhat, what might be up for you
(01:03):
for 2025?
.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Well, training's kind of hard right now as I I summer
up in Maine and, being December, for some odd reason, I'm still
up in Maine and training upthere is pretty much by myself
and it's a mental battle day today.
But I I've been swimming sinceI was four years old so I'm
pretty used to the mental gameof swimming and I like to push
myself and I know how to do it.
(01:34):
I look forward to getting backto Florida so I can draft off
some people, get my mind to rest.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
Yeah, mark, and I call that getting on the
conveyor belt when you have agroup to swim with, but talk to
us about winning the battle oftraining alone.
So this would be great.
A lot of our listeners do haveto train alone.
So how do you motivate yourself, and how many times a week and
how much yardage?
Because I think training aloneis something that a lot of
masters run into, but it's justhard to kind of execute yeah,
(02:05):
well, I generally shoot for thefeeling I get after the workout.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
You know the endorphins, just feeling proud
that you got in, etc.
It does take me about five toten minutes to get in.
I sit there and wonder why I'mdoing this.
I have to remind myself andmore or less when I get through
the warm-up I'm all right and,being an experienced swimmer, I
(02:31):
know what I need to do.
My butterfly is a little bitoff now and I know exactly why.
Because I haven't been doing alot of butterfly and once I get
in that groove and severalrepetitions of doing 50's
butterfly on a pretty hardinterval, that makes a good 200
(02:52):
fly Training wise.
I try and hit it 5 times a week, about 4,000 yards.
I'm very fortunate I have apool that is not used very much.
I always have my own lane.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
That is one of the beauties of training alone, when
I say I train alone, I am alone.
Like the whole pool to yourself.
Yeah, I love it.
So you talk about yourexperience.
I love knowing that you didswim in college at the
University of Wilmington yeahUniversity of Wilmington.
University of North Carolina atWilmington.
(03:35):
University of North Carolina atWilmington Sorry, you swam at
the University of North Carolinaat Wilmington and you've had a
brush with greatness, like ToddDeSorbo was your fellow coach,
because you were.
Was this, tell us tell?
Speaker 2 (03:49):
us your connection to that.
He was actually a fellowswimmer behind me a couple years
, but okay, so Todd's a littleyounger than you but he was a
fellow swimmer behind you so umyeah, I just seen that name when
he became like the Olympiccoach.
I'm like, wow, isn't thatthat's.
That's special that that was myfriend in college many years
(04:10):
ago yeah, that's really cool.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
So UNC Wilmington is a.
It's a smaller school but has alot of great pedigree.
I mean, a lot of great coachescome out of it and um, you,
obviously, you know, are one oftheir legends.
I've heard, that's what I'veheard, but what?
Speaker 2 (04:32):
was your transition like from college swimmer to
master swimmer?
Well, after college I became aprofessional triathlete.
I found a passion for openwater swimming and it was a lot
easier for me.
So I fell into that realm oflike doing triathlons and I
think was about 18 years andnever really did any master
(04:56):
swimming until that career wasdone.
Then I had a second collegecareer at age 34, 35.
Whoa, tell us about that.
So one of my best friends, KyleSage, he was my triathlon coach.
He began a program at St LeoCollege which is just north of
(05:16):
Tampa, and to become a collegeteam you have to start as a club
team and I was living in thearea we were neighbors because
he was my triathlon coach and Iwas basically like, what's next?
And he's like, he asked me tocook, he goes, just come be a
swimmer on the team and that waskind of a second college career
(05:41):
.
I was after the triathlontraining I'm like, oh, swimming,
swimming's a lot easier.
I don't have to bike, I don'thave to run and I was doing
these insane workouts, justgoing in, doing repeat thousands
day in, day out With thecollege team.
There is a few very talentedpeople that could keep.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
How old were you at this point?
Speaker 2 (06:03):
34.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
34.
So was it you were swimmingwith the college club team or
the?
Did you have any NCAAeligibility left, or what was
the oh?
Speaker 2 (06:13):
no, no eligibility left.
I burnt that out at Wilmington.
I was basically helping themcoach and I'd just get in the
water and swim.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
And when you swam with those college kids did it
kind of amp your swimming up itdid.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
It made me realize, like after doing triathlon and
I'm just like that was a verydifficult sport, very difficult
time of life, very competitiveand it's hard to put into words,
but uh, that that college,second college career fueled me
(06:51):
up.
I was back doing my collegetimes.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
Wow, yeah, that's crazy.
And in college, what were yourbest events?
Speaker 2 (07:00):
500,000 mile at championship meets Nice.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
Okay, so you went to UNC Wilmington to study marine
biology, right yeah, and thentell us about where that
education took you and yourcareer.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
I graduated, ended up working a few years down in the
Everglades National Park.
After that, I got involved inthe environmental field, working
with marine mammals, took a jobwith the oil company working
with compliance, which wasinteresting because this was
(07:40):
after my triathlon career, whenI became a triathlete.
I was a triathlete, that's allI did.
So working with the oil company, I worked on a ship, I was out
at sea for one month and I wason land for one month.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
So that was a very different lifestyle.
I did that for about eightyears and it just kind of like I
felt off kilter, like I have mywork friends and I come on land
and I'm like, what do I do?
It was hard to keep uprelationships and friendships
(08:18):
and swimming-wise.
We did have a little tiny poolon the ship and I used to tie
myself up and just Do aresistance band Swim for hours
on end.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
No way you had a little pool on the ship and you
swam on a resistance course.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
And I worked very long days 12 to 14 hour days and
at least two to three times aday when I was having stress
relief, I'd just go get in thepool, strap the band on.
(08:55):
That is so cool and there was aweight room and I really I got
pretty buff.
Yeah, you're still pretty buffIf I wasn't working.
I was working out and eating alot.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
Okay, so how did you end up at St Pete Masters and
tell us about that?
Speaker 2 (09:12):
Well, right after after college, I did an
internship with the state ofFlorida, which is right there by
North Shore Pool, where the StPete Masters are, and I would go
swim at lunchtime and I justmet all these amazing people and
just like, eventually I thinkit was 2020, I'm like I want to
(09:36):
get back into Masters.
So I moved down there.
I knew it was a good communityfrom triathlon and from the
swimming during that time.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
You moved back down there from where.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
I was in New Jersey.
That's a whole other story.
Okay, okay, that's where myboyfriend's from.
So I was in New Jersey.
That's a whole other story.
Okay, okay, that's where myboyfriend's from.
So I was up there Because withmy job I could live anywhere.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
So I did a lot of moving around.
That's nice, take advantage ofthat.
So you also did a lot of recentopen water swimming with St
Pete right, I mean, you know, inthe last 10 years.
Speaker 2 (10:14):
Yes, I pretty much.
I wanna say it was like 2014,.
I started trying my hand out inopen water swimming again and
got a little fanatic.
I was going all over everywhereand I found the 10K.
That's my event.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
I enjoy it.
Wait 10K in open water is yourevent.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
If I have to pick an event, that's the event I'd pick
.
I'm pretty good at it.
It gives me time to think and Idon't know I enjoy it.
Speaker 1 (10:53):
See, my husband, mark , does a lot of recruiting of
people that he thinks I shouldinterview, so he came home from
this meet yesterday morning.
He's like you need to interviewAllison Hayden.
She swam a 10K in an hour and36 minutes.
And Zena and I'm like wait,wait, what?
So tell us about your fastest10K, and was it really an hour
and 36 minutes?
(11:14):
Because we were like maybe itwas a down river fast swim which
wouldn't be unheard of.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
That's a little bit off.
I would say it was.
It's my best.
10k is about two hours and 17minutes.
That's still very fast If youknow open water swimming.
The Olympians are the one manprior, about two hours a little
bit under.
Yeah to 1.50.
Speaker 1 (11:34):
Thanks, mark for the compliment.
Yeah, thanks Mark.
Yeah, no, mark, yeah, but yeah,that's really great.
So what was your favorite?
Speaker 2 (11:43):
10K that you've done.
I've been going back and doingthis one in barbados for about
the last seven years.
Well, there were.
There was a hiatus after covid,like a year or two, but yeah, I
go back every year that I can.
There's a group called thejersey girls and group called
(12:10):
the Jersey Girls and it startedabout, I'd say, like five or six
people and we've grown to about36 approximately people.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
Nice, individual.
Okay, sounds like they'regetting ready to give you your
high point award.
We're wrapping up the meet here.
We got the guy in thebackground on the and uh.
So thank you so much forspending the time with me me and
look forward to seeing youaround.
Congratulations on all you'vedone, thank you.
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