Today on Torpedo Swimtalk Podcast we're joined by Kady Ibell from Queensland, who shares her journey from open swimming to the masters swimming circuit. Amidst balancing a full-time job with her passion for swimming, Kady provides insights into the supportive masters swimming community, where camaraderie trumps competition pressures. Tune in to discover how a single stroke in the pool reignited Kady's love for swimming and whether her sights are set on the ultimate goal for 2024: the Olympic trials.
Kady takes us behind the scenes of her experiences at the 2023 World Masters in Japan, navigating not only the pool but also heat waves, language barriers, and cultural differences.
In this episode, we delve into the intricacies of race technique and training routines. We also explore the Premier League swimming competition, where mystery races add an unpredictable twist to every swimmer's strategy. Kady shares her favourite training sets, from sprint sets to the breaststroke drill 'Lerada', and offers insights into managing competition nerves—an art as much as it is a science.
So grab your swim cap and goggles, and prepare for a motivating conversation with someone who swims with heart.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Danielle Spurling (00:09):
Hello Swimmers and welcome to another
episode of Torpedo Swim Talkpodcast.
I'm your host, danielleSperling, and each week we chat
to a master swimmer from aroundthe world about their swimming
journey.
Today, we have the pleasure ofspeaking with Kady Ibell, a 27
year old open master swimmerfrom Toowoomba in Queensland.
(00:31):
Kady has had quite the journeyin the swimming world, starting
at a young age and now excellingin masters competitions.
With such an impressive resume,including being the current
Queensland Open Women's Championin the 50 breaststroke, and her
recent success at the 2023World Masters Championships in
Japan, where she won four bronzemedals, there was a lot to
(00:55):
discuss.
Let's hear from Kady now.
There you go, boss.
Welcome Kady.
Kady Ibell (01:06):
Hello, thank you.
I'm very excited it's going tobe great, oh fantastic.
Danielle Spurling (01:11):
Have you got a swim in this weekend?
Kady Ibell (01:13):
Yes, so I just competed at the 2024 Queensland
Swimming Championships and I hadall four 50 meter swims at that
competition.
Danielle Spurling (01:22):
Fantastic.
Give us a bit of a low down onhow you went.
Kady Ibell (01:26):
So I did pretty well in all four swims.
I came ninth in the 50backstroke and 50 breaststroke.
I came sixth in the final and alittle bit over my best times,
but I was very happy with thosethings.
Danielle Spurling (01:40):
Fantastic.
It's amazing that you'recontinuing to do open swimming
as well as masters With the openraces.
Are they mainly 50s or do yougo up to the 100 and 200?
Kady Ibell (01:51):
Yes, so lately I've been.
I focus on the 50 meter sprintsat state championships just
because they're fun, but I docompete.
My main event is the 200 medley, so I do compete up to the 200
meter swims as well.
So 50s, 100, 200s.
Danielle Spurling (02:06):
And will you?
Will you be heading off to theAustralian Open Nationals this
year?
Kady Ibell (02:12):
I won't be this year because the same week is the
Queensland Masters Championshipsout channel.
So I'm focusing on that thisyear.
I'm trying to qualify for theOlympic trials as well, so
that's sort of my next goal.
I've got a few competitionsleading into that to try and get
the.
I'm looking at the 100breaststroke and the 200 medley
if I can, but they're the twosort of focus events for Olympic
(02:34):
trials if I can go.
But yeah, I'm really lookingforward to this whole season.
Danielle Spurling (02:40):
Yeah, how close are you to those two
qualifying times?
Kady Ibell (02:43):
I've in the past.
My best times are under them.
I just haven't redone them inthe qualifying time limit, so I
got my 100 breaststroke in 2021,december and I need to do it
after January 2022.
So I just need to re-swim it.
Danielle Spurling (02:58):
Yeah.
Kady Ibell (02:58):
But yeah, just trying to fit in the training
enough now to be able to achievethat goal.
Danielle Spurling (03:02):
Yeah, that sounds fantastic.
Well, first of all, what Iwanted to talk about was to sort
of dive into the transitionbetween that open swimming
career and your masters.
What prompted you to trymasters?
Kady Ibell (03:15):
So in 2021 was when I started masters I had after
COVID 2019 was my good racingand then COVID hit and we had
eight weeks completely out ofthe pool and I just sort of lost
a lot of enjoyment of the sport.
When I came back, I just wasn'thitting the time that I was
doing previously and I justwasn't even close to hitting a
(03:35):
PB.
So my enjoyment was starting togo down and my squad at
training because we're from asmall town the level and the age
group had dropped, so I wasabout 10 years older minimum
than everyone else in the squad,so losing a little bit of what
I had in the past.
So I thought, okay, I'mcoaching at the time and I had
about six or seven mastersswimmers from Te Wumba.
(03:58):
They sort of just were having alot more fun and friendships
and all of that business andthat really prompted me to have
a go and they were reallyconvincing.
They were like yep, let's joinyou in that.
And yeah, I had a fewcompetitions in that end of 2021
that really, really enjoyedthat.
Yeah, just, I had a few friendsfrom down south as well Daria
(04:22):
Schiltz and Desina Humphrey.
They really knew them from uphere as well.
So they got me into doingmasters.
They loved it.
So I thought, okay, I'll have acrack and my enjoyment's come
back.
So much since then.
So.
Danielle Spurling (04:35):
Well, why do you think it's such a difference
in the mindset between the two?
Kady Ibell (04:40):
Yeah, it's.
I think the pressure in openswimming it's a lot more
expectation than with masters.
You just a lot of people do,obviously, masters for fun, but
you've also got the competitiveside as well.
You can just have a swim or youcan compete at a high level and
I think that takes the pressureoff where open swimming it's
very serious.
(05:00):
So the masters is a very goodenvironment, very positive, very
happy.
Danielle Spurling (05:06):
Yeah, that's good to see your enjoyment back
in the swimming and obviouslyyou're still swimming so fast,
being able to race at the openchamps.
Kady Ibell (05:13):
Yeah, so the last.
So from 2021,.
I still had my good trainingbackground that pushed me
through to be able to hit thosetimes.
And in December just gone, I'vejust got a new job, so now I'm
doing full-time work rather thanpart-time work.
Yeah, keep the training up tobe able to keep that standard is
quite tricky.
(05:33):
So I'm still, yeah, figuringout my new routine to be able to
compete at that level.
But, yeah, I've done a lot inthe past that I can keep that
whole new training schedule.
So I was doing a lot more longdistance work and a lot more
pace work, and now I'm doingless sessions.
I have to do a bit more shortersprinting, so trying to keep
(05:55):
the hundreds and two hundreds upis going to be tricky, but,
yeah, I'm doing quite well atthe moment.
Danielle Spurling (06:01):
So what, what ?
How have the training sessionsdropped?
So, in terms of when you weredoing the open, how many were
you doing then and how many areyou doing now?
Kady Ibell (06:11):
Yeah, so at their home where I was training, I was
doing between seven and nineswims a week and a couple of gym
sessions on top of that, andnow I'm two to four sessions a
week and some gym if I can fitit in as well, and I was doing
between probably four and sixkilometers per session in with
the seven sessions a week and alot of pace work and some more
(06:33):
medley work in that as well.
But now it's like one to two Kafter work if I can fit it in
before it gets dark and beforethe pool closes in town.
So that's sort of the mainchange and a little bit more.
Yeah, just sprint based work atthe moment.
Danielle Spurling (06:47):
And do you think were you always a good 50
meter sprinter, or do you thinkthat that's come on now that
you're doing that, that sort ofparticular work in the water?
Kady Ibell (06:55):
Yeah, I think the lack of training that I've had
pushed me towards the fifties,because the hundreds drop off a
little bit with lack of training.
But as a little kid I was twoto 50, up to 1500.
So I was a bit of everything.
I was actually a backstrokerwhen I was little but that
changed when I was starting highschool and then I transitioned
(07:18):
to medley and I've always hadthat medley background because
my coaches have always said makesure young swimmers do all four
strokes and that gives youfitness and everything as well
and be able to compete ineverything.
And when I was 12, my coach atthe time he said like we want to
focus on like the 800 to keepthe fit and be able to show up
(07:38):
when the whole club competed inthose longer distance races and
points for the club.
But now, yeah, it'stransitioned to more brush
stroke, shorter races, 50 and100 and the 200 medley as well.
Danielle Spurling (07:51):
Have you found that you've had to change?
Obviously the stroke rate isdifferent between a 250.
But have you had to adjust anyparts of your technique for that
shift?
Kady Ibell (08:03):
A little bit.
I find probably with my longerfreestyle in the past I've had
to learn to get that rating up alittle bit and shorten it a
little bit and I'm not thetallest swimmer so I can't copy
long tall swimmers.
So trying to get the catchearlier and higher elbows in
brush stroke and a short, like Igot that narrow kick in brush
(08:24):
stroke.
That's sort of as you grow upit changes depending on how your
body changes and yeah,definitely narrow kick and high
elbows in the brush stroke isdifferent compared to my longer
brush stroke technique.
Danielle Spurling (08:36):
And with the full time work.
I mean when you, when you startfull time work in your and
you're trying to train, you getso tired from work and there's
not a lot of energy left over toput into your swimming.
So how do you manage to sort ofmotivate yourself to do that?
Kady Ibell (08:51):
It's tricky.
I've only been in the new jobsix weeks so I'm still figuring
it out.
But just, I think it's a goodmental release after work, going
for a swim at the moment ratherthan doing big sessions but
leading into state championshipsin April.
I want to be able to up thosecaves a little bit and get that
pace work back in rather thanjust the short sprints or just
(09:13):
like a float swim.
But I'm yet to really goodmental release after work.
I haven't done a lot ofmornings yet With the full time.
I'm still figuring out all thatschedule so I'm preferred the
afternoons at this stage.
But I sort of plan at the startof the week I'll do like
alternate days Monday, wednesday, friday swim and then alternate
(09:33):
days with the gym.
So I can just break it up alittle bit.
Good idea.
Danielle Spurling (09:37):
Yeah, because it's really tempting to let
that gym side of things slide toget into the water, but I think
it's super important tocontinue doing that.
Do you have someone running agym program for you or do you do
your own thing?
Kady Ibell (09:49):
At the moment I'm at Fit Stop North Torma and it's a
very nice group class and it'slike every Monday's like a
perform class where you do a bitof cardio, a bit of strength,
and then Tuesday, friday is amore strength based, and then
Wednesdays and Saturdays arecardio.
So I can sort of balance out myweek through that and just
(10:09):
focus on more of a cardio ifI've done less swim, or focus on
the lifting days, the strength,and trying to build up sort of
with the squats and dead lifts,the main lifts, and trying to
work out like the fourcompetitions make sure I'm not
doing too heavy so I'm notgetting too sore, and then I
don't want to get sick either.
So I'm trying to just balanceit out with one swim.
(10:30):
One gym is to sort of stretchout my muscles as well.
Danielle Spurling (10:33):
Yeah, good idea.
Are you someone that likes tosort of do a bit of activation
before you get in the water, ordo you just hop in cold?
Kady Ibell (10:40):
Definitely not cold, because I'm getting older now
and I'm feeling my age a lot inthese competitions.
But I try and just do a littlebit of stretching, especially
the night before and then on theday doing a little bit of core
activation, little bit of gluteactivation.
Especially with the sprint reststroke is quite hard to get
going, yeah, so mainly littlebit of core, little bit of
(11:02):
stretching, little bit of legs,wings, that sort of stuff very
basic but really necessary.
Danielle Spurling (11:07):
I mean, I see so many swimmers just jumping
the water without any activationand yeah, it really affects
your shoulders later in life, sokeep doing it.
Kady Ibell (11:16):
Yes, keep going.
I'm not too old yet, but Idefinitely am starting to feel
it, yeah you do?
Danielle Spurling (11:20):
You get tight , you get tighter.
I think I mean you lose a rangeof flexibility.
So it's really important tokeep to keep going with that.
Kady Ibell (11:27):
Yeah, especially now that I'm on my feet eight till
four thirties every day ratherthan just morning and afternoon.
I'm not getting my naps throughthe day anymore, unfortunately.
But yeah, just trying to keepthat length in my muscles and
off my feet if I can.
With the swimming, yeah, what'sthe new job?
I'm a therapy assistant now atthe Chwamba Hospital.
So yeah, doing five days a weekat the moment and my contract
(11:50):
is going well so far.
And yeah, compared to swimcoaching it's very different.
But working with strokepatients and adult
rehabilitation and all of that,so it's going very well.
Danielle Spurling (12:02):
That's in the rehab of the hospital.
Yeah, okay.
Kady Ibell (12:06):
Yes, rehab, yeah, section there.
So I've got the medical wardand the in and out patient
therapy as well.
So at the moment I'm in therehab ward.
Danielle Spurling (12:15):
Yeah, I bet it's really real.
I'm sure it's really rewardingbecause you're helping them get
back to what they werepre-accident or pre-stroke.
Kady Ibell (12:24):
Yes, because I'm not just doing exercises with them,
I'm helping them withswallowing again, talking again,
walking again.
So it's a very, very differentenvironment, but it's very
positive as well.
Matches in with my masters isvery well.
Danielle Spurling (12:38):
And back to your training.
Are you now still training withthe squad, with the master
squad, or by yourself?
Kady Ibell (12:46):
So I've never trained with a master's squad.
I swim under, at the moment,the University of Queensland
masters, but because I'm livingin Toowoomba, I just train with
the national squad up atFairhome College.
But now that I've got full-timework I'm just training on my
own at the local pool just acouple of times a week when I
think Wow that's really tough.
Danielle Spurling (13:07):
That's tough swimming by yourself, isn't it?
Kady Ibell (13:10):
Yes, very, I'm figuring it out slowly because I
get there and I'm like oh, I'lljust, I'll do this set today
that I don't really feel like it.
So I've just got to keep thatmotivation going, that I've got
this competition coming up andwant to keep working towards
that.
Danielle Spurling (13:24):
The world masters you went to last year in
Japan, in 2023.
Was that the first worldmasters you'd convened at?
Kady Ibell (13:30):
Yes, so I turned 25 in 2021.
So I joined masters when I was25 and that was supposed to be
the year that Japan Worlds weregoing to be on, so I was like,
yep, ready to go.
And then, yeah, got postponed,so I felt like I had a little
bit more experience before Iwent into that.
But, yeah, it was definitely myfirst championships, which was
very exciting, first overseastrip as well, so that was a big
(13:53):
learning curve as well.
So with the heat as well it was42 degrees that got like it
over there every day.
So managing with all thosedifferent circumstances as well
was tricky, but I loved thecompetition and that whole
environment and we had a reallygood group of people that went
over, so very enjoyable.
Danielle Spurling (14:11):
Oh, that's really nice.
Did you stay together as agroup?
Kady Ibell (14:16):
We didn't.
My family and I, we went over.
So we had five of us go overand we just met up with the
whole team at the pool andcaught up each day and supported
each other, depending on whoserace was on where, because they
had the two pool at thecompetition, so the men and
women were on different times.
So I had a lot of support fromthe club.
They came and watched mebecause I was the last hit,
(14:37):
because I was in the youngestage group.
They all finished theircompetition and they came over
and supported me through that.
Danielle Spurling (14:42):
Oh, that's nice, Really lovely.
Yeah, yeah, that's really nice.
That's what I love aboutmasters.
I know I know that sort ofrange of ages that you have, but
everyone has that one thing incommon that they all love
swimming, and I think it's areal age barrier breaker.
Kady Ibell (14:57):
It is because I find that's another difference from
open swimming is because thekids are so much younger.
They haven't experienced whatwe've experienced.
Yeah, they just don't have thatsame enthusiasm or commitment
and there's a lot of stress inthat situation for them.
So when I'm at open meets Ipretty much hang with all the
masters group anyway.
Just we're all positive andwe're all making finals, so it's
(15:19):
a great environment to be in,yeah for sure.
Danielle Spurling (15:24):
And what was some of the?
I know you mentioned the heatin Japan.
What were some of the thingsthat you didn't expect and you
had to sort of work your waythrough them?
Kady Ibell (15:31):
The language barrier .
That was very tricky becauseour medley relay team we meddled
in the four by 50 medley relayand we originally came forth and
we looked at the reaction timeson the changeovers and we saw
that the Chinese team hadactually jumped the start on one
of their legs and they hadn'tupdated the results.
(15:54):
So we had to go down and tryand sort that all that situation
out.
But the language barrier, therewas no English so we really
struggled to let them know whatwas happening and we eventually
found an interpreter.
So that was very handy.
We ever got all that situationsorted through that.
But yeah, the language barrier,the heat, the food, yeah, just
(16:15):
the travel, trying to figure outthe trains and buses and all
their schedules as well.
So that was probably thebiggest thing was the travel.
Danielle Spurling (16:23):
What were some of the challenges?
With the food, With the food?
Kady Ibell (16:26):
just my normal food that I would have here before a
competition.
There's like no cereal, nocereal, anything or bread even
over there and yeah, just tryingto.
They have sushi or rice butthat's their sort of breakfast
and yeah, I had none of mynormal food there.
So trying to figure out what Icould eat and what I could
stomach before I would race,that was one of the tricky parts
(16:48):
.
A lot of my friends they boughtfood over, but I didn't.
I was just scared to try thatso I just thought I would just
get something when I'm there,but there was nothing I could
really eat before so that was abit tricky.
So, yeah, just had a few littlesandwiches and things like that
, rather than lots of food.
Danielle Spurling (17:05):
Well then, I mean, you've got to sort of go
to one World Champs first tofigure out how to do the next
one.
Really, because there's so manythings like the warmup pool,
for instance, is a nightmare youcan't do your proper warmup.
Kady Ibell (17:17):
No, I was not expecting that either, but the
relay day was very trickybecause we had the men and the
women together as well, so therewas like 6,000 people there at
once, so trying to just fit in alane and also they swim
backwards there you go the otherway.
Danielle Spurling (17:32):
That was really tricky as well.
Kady Ibell (17:33):
Oh no, it's so hard, yeah, trying to remember to go
the right way, because I was soscared of getting injured by
going the wrong way.
So I've had to concentrate alot in the warmups as well.
Danielle Spurling (17:42):
Yeah, it's so hard to do backstroke in those
when you're warming up at theWorlds for that.
Kady Ibell (17:47):
Yeah, I literally did like three or four strokes
and I turn over just to makesure no one's coming my way as
well, I know.
If I can control mine, but Ican't control if they're going
to do it.
So that was very tricky.
Danielle Spurling (17:56):
Exactly, and all of those challenges.
You had four races that youmeddled in.
Which one were you the happiestwith, and tell us about that
race?
Kady Ibell (18:06):
Yes, I would say the 100th breaststroke.
I was very relieved because Iwas ranked.
I had to look at the entry listbefore I went over and I was
ranked quite high in all of myswims.
And the first day the 200backstroke didn't go quite how I
planned and I was like I washappy with fit.
I was really excited that I gotfit in the world.
And then I had my 100breaststroke and it was one of
(18:28):
my main swims and I was like Iwould really like to meddle in
that and I touched the wall andI saw a third and I was very
excited with that.
But I also then realized I onlymeddled by 0.04 of a second.
Danielle Spurling (18:39):
Wow, it's close.
Kady Ibell (18:40):
So that was very close.
So I felt very, very gratefulto even get a medal over there
and that was, yeah, very bigrelief.
In that one I liked all four ofmy medals, obviously.
That was amazing.
And having the relay so I saymy 100 breaststroke was my best
individual race, and then myfour by 50 medley, doing that
(19:02):
with my three other UQ girls,was very exciting as well.
Danielle Spurling (19:05):
Yeah, that's so much fun having a relay like
that.
Kady Ibell (19:09):
I love relays.
Yeah, we weren't expecting tohave one, because we had four
women and four men, so thatworked out perfectly and we
could have the two female relays, two male relays, but then also
the mixed relays.
So getting to swim with the menwas very exciting as well.
Danielle Spurling (19:23):
That's cool, were you all around the same age
.
Kady Ibell (19:27):
No, so I was.
How old was I at the time?
27.
And then the ladies had 30years on me, but the men were
all 40 to 50 to 60s.
So I was definitely theyoungest by a lot.
But I just can't believe howquick these men and women are at
that age.
(19:47):
So that's another reason why Ijoined.
Masters was just the amazementof how people can swim at that
age.
And I have a few older friendsin my UQ team that do like the
400 butterfly at 80 years old.
I'm just like how do you dothat?
And they're like this is thefun one.
I can't sprint.
I'm like, yeah, that's notenjoyment for me, but you can do
(20:08):
that one, I'll let you havethat one.
So I love seeing older, olderswimmers swim as well.
Yeah, Just how quick they are.
Danielle Spurling (20:14):
They're really inspirational,
ridiculously.
Kady Ibell (20:17):
Yeah, and what is?
Danielle Spurling (20:19):
what does Katie look like in the in the
marshalling area?
Are you a quiet sort of personor do you like to talk to people
?
Kady Ibell (20:26):
It depends on the race for me.
I get pretty nervous with my200 medley because it's such a
important race to me, so I getquite nervous and just sit sort
of by myself.
But all like the 50-meter swimsor the real age, like I'm a bit
crazy.
I go and talk to everyone I canand I'm very fast with my
talking, so I get a bit puffedbefore I have to go out.
(20:46):
So I have to sit calm justbefore I go out so I can
actually get my breath backafter chatting to everyone,
which was really good in Japanwith our relays, with the
marshalling area, and we werejust taking selfies with all the
other teams and having goodchats with everyone, trying to
figure out where they're allfrom and different language
barriers.
So now having the selfies withall of them was really cool.
Danielle Spurling (21:08):
And what are some of your other Masters
competitions that you've been inthat you've really enjoyed
competing at?
Kady Ibell (21:15):
So my very first competition in Masters was
Queensland State Long Course atKauana and it was such a big
learning curve for me becauseone for swimming with the men
side by side and I was a bitoblivious with especially my 100
butterfly.
I was like I'll put in my timethat I normally would swim at
open competitions and they putme in the middle of the men and
(21:36):
I just drowned.
I was so swamped with waves itwas ridiculous.
So having that competition wasa good learning experience.
And then I've had greatBarre-Reef Masters games.
I loved that.
That was every time I go.
There is amazing.
And then PampasivaChampionships.
I haven't been to a nationalchampionships yet.
I'm going to Darwin in May, sothat will be my first ever
(21:58):
Nationals.
And then the Premier Leagueswimming competition.
I experienced that in Novemberlast year with my team.
We were actually one at thatcompetition so we had a really,
really good afternoon.
It was just not serious at all.
It was just a good teamenvironment and just supporting
each other as we go, which wasreally nice.
Danielle Spurling (22:19):
Tell us about the Premier League because I'm
trying to get my head around it.
It's a little bit like the ISLtype, yeah.
Kady Ibell (22:24):
Right, yes, which I like.
It was short course, which Iprefer, and we had a team of
eight and it had to be half boys, half girls and had to be under
I think it was like 250 yearscombined with everyone.
So you couldn't just have allyoung quick swimmers, you had to
have the older age group aswell and had to figure out who
(22:47):
could spend what strokes as well.
So you had to sort of balanceit out.
The hardest part was the mysteryrace.
So you had to roll a dice andthey said at the start of the
day they had like number one itwas going to be 203, number 200
back, things like that, and wewere all praying that it was
going to be the 25 butterfly or25 brush stroke.
And it came out every time,except for, I think, two out of
(23:10):
the six weren't the 203 styleand every other roll the dice
was 203 style.
So I copped that one.
So that was great, yes, but youhave eight.
I think we had eight teams atthat competition and the top
four after the first round wentto the A final and the bottom
four went to the B final and thewinner of both finals got prize
(23:32):
money.
Oh nice, that was a verydifferent experience with that,
so that was really good.
Danielle Spurling (23:37):
Yeah, how often do they run those?
Kady Ibell (23:41):
I'm not really sure.
I think there's been five intotal so far and there's another
one coming up, but one of myfriends just invited me to it.
I think it's every couple ofmonths maybe, or every year.
So we were November and I thinkthe next one's coming up.
Yeah, because it was the veryfirst, so the one I went to it
was the very first Mastersedition, so I think it was just
(24:04):
open swimming before that and alot of the Olympians went to the
last one, so this was the firstMasters one, so it was a lot of
fun.
Danielle Spurling (24:13):
Yeah, it sounds it.
Yes, it was great.
Yeah, and you've been numberone in the world for the 25 to
29 200.
I am short course.
Yeah, when did you do the swimthat placed you at that ranking?
Kady Ibell (24:27):
It was the 2021 Brisbane Southside competition
at Chandler.
Okay.
Yeah so I was actually racingCasey Flouch at the time and he
had big inspiration to me so itwas good to race him and I am
better at backstroke than himand he's better at breaststroke
than me.
So I had to really knuckle downon that backstroke and try and
(24:48):
catch him and they just took offon me in breaststroke.
So that really pulled me out inthat first 100 meters and I
just had to hang on after that.
So I was very happy with thatswim.
Danielle Spurling (24:58):
How do you build a 200 I?
Kady Ibell (25:00):
am.
Oh, it's a tricky one.
So for me my breaststrokeobviously is one of my strengths
, but in the actual 200 medleymy backstroke is actually my
strength, so I've got to not gotoo hard in that butterfly.
So the 50 flies just like astrong, solid effort, easy speed
, and then pretty much just gohard from there.
(25:21):
But I try.
I was taught when I was about 17from one of Michael Bolsfum's
at the time that he used to workon every.
So the first 25 of each 50, youtry and go, it's slower than
the second 25.
So you try and build each 50 aswell.
So the second half of each 50had to be quicker than the first
.
So I've always sort of use thatphilosophy and give everything
(25:45):
in the freestyle.
So, and then short course.
Yeah, short course is hard aswell, yeah, so you had to work
with turns.
Oh, I love, I love short course, me too.
It just it's a lot.
That's the only time you can do.
100 I am, so that's the bestthing.
I love 100 I am, but I do lovemy 200.
Are you good at turns?
I could be better, but yes, Iprefer short course because of
(26:07):
my terms I'm.
Because I'm shorter, I can sortof get in and out a lot quicker
.
I just have to work on theunderwater part.
I'm good at the turn.
I just need to fix theunderwater part.
Danielle Spurling (26:18):
Yeah, what do you mean when you say you have
to fix it?
Why, what's wrong?
Kady Ibell (26:21):
with it.
I think I just I don't do itfast enough.
I'm sort of like not a relaxedsort of state.
I just, yeah, I think, oh yeah,I've done, done my turn and
then I can start swimming, but Iforget about I have to actually
work harder in that underwater.
So I've been trying to work onthat the last six months or so.
Danielle Spurling (26:38):
How many dolphin kicks you do off a turn
for your freestyle, oh forfreestyle.
Kady Ibell (26:44):
I think it's four.
I try and do in 50 and 100.
I don't really have enoughoxygen for 200.
But in my 200 medley I work oneight for butterfly, seven for
backstroke, one obviously forbreaststroke and then four for
freestyle Yep.
So I've got a specific patternfor my medleys.
Danielle Spurling (27:06):
But that's really interesting, does that?
Do you think that puts you in abit of oxygen debt by the time
you get to that freestyle?
Kady Ibell (27:11):
A little bit.
So for my short course it doesa little bit.
So I try and just see how I goat the time.
But my long course, that's theonly way I can keep my momentum
going.
So I looked at Katinka Hosuthat's who I studied leading
into that and that seemed towork for me as well.
And if I, like I said before,if I go too slow and relaxed
(27:32):
with my underwater, then I gointo oxygen debt.
So I have to make sure it'snice and zippy.
Danielle Spurling (27:37):
Yeah, wow, that's really impressive
underwater.
So you do the same amount offthe dive yeah.
Kady Ibell (27:43):
So eight off the fly dive, yeah, and then I probably
go four off the turn in shortcourse, but in long course I
just go eight off the dive andwhat are the master's events?
Danielle Spurling (27:53):
I know you mentioned you're going to Darwin
, but long term, what sort of?
What are you sort of aiming for?
What are your aspirations?
Kady Ibell (28:00):
Singapore World Champs in 2025.
That's my next one.
It'll be my last World Champsin the 25 to 29 age group, so
I'd love to improve on myresults from Japan now that I've
had an overseas trip andlearned all about what and what
not to do.
But, yeah, I think I'llprobably do the same events as I
(28:21):
did in 2023, depending on thetraining.
If I can get enough training inbefore that, then I'll probably
look at the same events,because half of them are brush
stroke and half of them aremedley.
So, yeah, that's sort of thenext big goal I've got.
Yeah, this whole next seasonit'll be state championships in
Brisbane, national championshipsin Darwin, pampax in November
(28:44):
2024, and then World Champs in2025.
That's sort of the next bigstep.
So, and then I'll look at afterthat with life where it heads
as well.
Yes, yeah, of course, I'mapproaching 30, so getting on a
little bit.
So, yeah, trying to make somebigger life decisions as well.
So I thought I'll have a goodhit out at 2025 World Champs and
(29:05):
, yeah, go from there.
Danielle Spurling (29:06):
They haven't really said when Singapore what
time of the year it's going tobe, but it will tend to be
around July, august, that typeof time.
Kady Ibell (29:15):
I'm expecting that as well.
So it'll be interesting theheat over there as well.
So at least I've prepared fromJapan being in August as well.
But like Doha is going to bequite different this year, I'm
obviously not going, but yeah,just to see how everyone
responds compared to Japan willbe very interesting.
Danielle Spurling (29:33):
Singapore is a bit more tropical than Japan,
so it's probably a bit moresimilar.
I lived there for a littlewhile and it's similar to the
weathering by North Queenslandsort of humidity, but it's the
same temperature every daybasically.
Kady Ibell (29:47):
Well, it would be good, kind of like Darwin and
Cairns.
So that kind of temperature,yeah, for sure.
Danielle Spurling (29:52):
Yeah, can you give us a bit of an insight
into one of the sessions thatyou do by yourself?
Kady Ibell (29:58):
Yes.
So I try a little bit moresprint work, obviously, and my
go-to set is it's a long set,it's 55-25s and you start at
10-25s on one minute and thenyou have a little swim off and
then 9-25s on 55.
And then you work your way downto the last 25 dive start on 15
(30:21):
seconds.
So when I'm doing that brushstroke it's a bit of a push but
it's been a very good one for meto get that speed up ready to
go for my 50 and my start of my100.
So I'll have to do some more ofmy back end for the next couple
of competitions because it'snot just 50m swims.
But yeah, that's my go-to for mysprint and what will you do to
(30:42):
work on that back end Probablyyeah, I used to do a few
sessions where I would do afterwe do a bit of a process with
this first little bitprogression.
But eight 100s breaststroke onfour minutes sprint, and I've
never done that long course.
So I'm going to be doing alittle bit of progression
leading into that like startwith like two and then the next
(31:04):
week maybe go four and just seehow I'm progressing with time
and stroke as well.
So just focusing on drillsleading into it as well, so I
have that efficiency and thenstart to drop the times down
from there and see how long Ican sort of hold that pace for.
And that will be my sort of goto for leading into trying to
get that Olympic trialqualifying time.
Danielle Spurling (31:25):
Are you?
I forgot to ask are youtraining in a 25 meter pool or
50?
Kady Ibell (31:29):
When I train on my own downtown it'll be in a 50
meter pool, and then if I trainwith a squad at the Fairham
College pool, that's 25.
So I've always trained 25, butthe pool in the middle of town
is 50 meter.
So I am enjoying that at themoment because it's outdoors.
Danielle Spurling (31:46):
Everyone that comes on the podcast.
I love to ask them their deepdive five, which is their
swimming favorite?
So just give me the first thingthat pops into your head.
Favorite pool that you've everswam at Outdoor pool at
Melbourne Aquatic Center.
Kady Ibell (31:58):
Oh very nice, I love that pool.
Danielle Spurling (32:01):
Do you?
Okay, you had some good timesthere.
Kady Ibell (32:04):
I have, and it's.
It just feels so light.
The water feels like it doesn'tfeel like 25 meters.
I've never swam in at 50.
I've just done 25 competitionsthere, but I've got my best ever
result at Australia Nationalsin that pool, so good times.
Danielle Spurling (32:17):
Good memories , very good.
How about your favorite gogglesFavorite?
Kady Ibell (32:21):
goggles, opal Speedos I am.
I used to train in the OpalClear Speedos, but now I like
the Murud.
Danielle Spurling (32:29):
And how about your favorite breaststroke
training drill?
It's called.
Kady Ibell (32:33):
Lerada, so L-A-R-A-D-A, which is left arm,
right arm, double arm.
So I learnt that at aQueensland breaststroke camp and
I've used it ever since.
Danielle Spurling (32:43):
Yep, and is it just one, one of each?
Yeah?
Kady Ibell (32:46):
So you keep the legs the same, but keep the other
arm out in front.
So do the left arm, do theright arm and then do a full
stroke of breaststroke.
Danielle Spurling (32:55):
Nice, I like that one.
Kady Ibell (32:56):
Yeah, it's very fancy.
Danielle Spurling (32:58):
And how about when you, when you're not in
Japan, and you can eat the foodthat you like?
What's your favorite pre-racemeal?
Kady Ibell (33:05):
Oh, we have apricot chicken is normally my go-to the
night before or honey masteredchicken, so usually rice chicken
, things like that.
Danielle Spurling (33:13):
Nice.
And how about on competitionday?
What do you sort of eat beforebreakfast?
Kady Ibell (33:18):
I struggle to eat but I usually have raisin toast
that's one of my go-to's bananasand pincots for jam.
They're my sort of three littlequick snacks, plus pout raids
and things like that, if I can'tstomach the food.
Danielle Spurling (33:32):
Yeah, because nerves make such an impact on
race day, don't they?
Kady Ibell (33:36):
Yes, and I've had a lot of trouble in the past.
I was on reflux medication fora long time and we figured out
that my blood sugar droppedridiculously, that I pretty much
was nearly a coma toast withhow low it was.
So I figured out if I don't eat, it drops at least two points.
So I've yeah, as I've gottenolder, I'm like, yep, I can see
where that importance peoplehave told me in the past, but
(33:59):
now I get it.
So make sure I eat Justsomething, just something little
, some mouthful here and there.
Danielle Spurling (34:04):
And how about the swimmer you most admire and
why?
Kady Ibell (34:08):
Oh, I've got a couple Like.
Jess Shipper is one of myfavorites.
She's just super friendly and,I think, a little bit underrated
she yeah, my favorite ever raceto watch was the 4x100 Medley
at Beijing and I've had a lot oftalks about all of that with
her and just such an inspirationto me as a young kid and I was
(34:29):
never really a butterflyer butshe sort of got me into fly as a
younger kid.
I just wanted to look up to herand be like her with that.
But one of the most friendlypeople I've ever met.
And you mentioned you had a fewothers.
Oh, yes, natalie Coglund.
She's one of my favorites fromAmerica In the old age group.
I do like my older era swimmersand just wanted her quotes that
(34:55):
she had and I really like where, what she did with her training
and how when she got older shetransitioned from all of those
events from Beijing longer, like200 Medley, 200 Backstroke into
the Sprint freestyle and justhow she transitions from there
is very interesting.
So I do like watching that.
Danielle Spurling (35:14):
Have you and she's got a book out, I think,
hasn't she?
Have you read that?
Kady Ibell (35:17):
I think so I haven't read it yet, so that's sort of
on my list.
Danielle Spurling (35:21):
Well, Katie, thank you so much for sharing
your insights and experienceswith us today.
I'm really excited to followyour journey and I hope to meet
you in person on Paul Deck andDarwin that would be great,
darwin would be great, and thenmaybe at MSAC one day as well,
that would be really good.
Kady Ibell (35:35):
Yeah, for sure.
Danielle Spurling (35:37):
Thank you for having me.
Yeah, you're welcome.
Take care, see you.
I hope you enjoyed my chat withKatie and took something from
Katie's journey that you can addinto your own swimming and help
you improve down the track.
Congratulations to FelicityHawkins for winning our
competition for the Form Goggles, and thank you to everyone that
(36:00):
left us a lovely review onApple or even sent them
personally.
Till next time.
Happy swimming and bye for now.
Hello Swimmers and welcome to another
episode of Torpedo Swim Talkpodcast.
I'm your host, danielleSperling, and each week we chat
to a master swimmer from aroundthe world about their swimming
journey.
Today, we have the pleasure ofspeaking with Kady Ibell, a 27
year old open master swimmerfrom Toowoomba in Queensland.
(00:31):
Kady has had quite the journeyin the swimming world, starting
at a young age and now excellingin masters competitions.
With such an impressive resume,including being the current
Queensland Open Women's Championin the 50 breaststroke, and her
recent success at the 2023World Masters Championships in
Japan, where she won four bronzemedals, there was a lot to
(00:55):
discuss.
Let's hear from Kady now.
There you go, boss.
Welcome Kady.
Kady Ibell (01:06):
Hello, thank you.
I'm very excited it's going tobe great, oh fantastic.
Danielle Spurling (01:11):
Have you got a swim in this weekend?
Kady Ibell (01:13):
Yes, so I just competed at the 2024 Queensland
Swimming Championships and I hadall four 50 meter swims at that
competition.
Danielle Spurling (01:22):
Fantastic.
Give us a bit of a low down onhow you went.
Kady Ibell (01:26):
So I did pretty well in all four swims.
I came ninth in the 50backstroke and 50 breaststroke.
I came sixth in the final and alittle bit over my best times,
but I was very happy with thosethings.
Danielle Spurling (01:40):
Fantastic.
It's amazing that you'recontinuing to do open swimming
as well as masters With the openraces.
Are they mainly 50s or do yougo up to the 100 and 200?
Kady Ibell (01:51):
Yes, so lately I've been.
I focus on the 50 meter sprintsat state championships just
because they're fun, but I docompete.
My main event is the 200 medley, so I do compete up to the 200
meter swims as well.
So 50s, 100, 200s.
Danielle Spurling (02:06):
And will you?
Will you be heading off to theAustralian Open Nationals this
year?
Kady Ibell (02:12):
I won't be this year because the same week is the
Queensland Masters Championshipsout channel.
So I'm focusing on that thisyear.
I'm trying to qualify for theOlympic trials as well, so
that's sort of my next goal.
I've got a few competitionsleading into that to try and get
the.
I'm looking at the 100breaststroke and the 200 medley
if I can, but they're the twosort of focus events for Olympic
(02:34):
trials if I can go.
But yeah, I'm really lookingforward to this whole season.
Danielle Spurling (02:40):
Yeah, how close are you to those two
qualifying times?
Kady Ibell (02:43):
I've in the past.
My best times are under them.
I just haven't redone them inthe qualifying time limit, so I
got my 100 breaststroke in 2021,december and I need to do it
after January 2022.
So I just need to re-swim it.
Danielle Spurling (02:58):
Yeah.
Kady Ibell (02:58):
But yeah, just trying to fit in the training
enough now to be able to achievethat goal.
Danielle Spurling (03:02):
Yeah, that sounds fantastic.
Well, first of all, what Iwanted to talk about was to sort
of dive into the transitionbetween that open swimming
career and your masters.
What prompted you to trymasters?
Kady Ibell (03:15):
So in 2021 was when I started masters I had after
COVID 2019 was my good racingand then COVID hit and we had
eight weeks completely out ofthe pool and I just sort of lost
a lot of enjoyment of the sport.
When I came back, I just wasn'thitting the time that I was
doing previously and I justwasn't even close to hitting a
(03:35):
PB.
So my enjoyment was starting togo down and my squad at
training because we're from asmall town the level and the age
group had dropped, so I wasabout 10 years older minimum
than everyone else in the squad,so losing a little bit of what
I had in the past.
So I thought, okay, I'mcoaching at the time and I had
about six or seven mastersswimmers from Te Wumba.
(03:58):
They sort of just were having alot more fun and friendships
and all of that business andthat really prompted me to have
a go and they were reallyconvincing.
They were like yep, let's joinyou in that.
And yeah, I had a fewcompetitions in that end of 2021
that really, really enjoyedthat.
Yeah, just, I had a few friendsfrom down south as well Daria
(04:22):
Schiltz and Desina Humphrey.
They really knew them from uphere as well.
So they got me into doingmasters.
They loved it.
So I thought, okay, I'll have acrack and my enjoyment's come
back.
So much since then.
So.
Danielle Spurling (04:35):
Well, why do you think it's such a difference
in the mindset between the two?
Kady Ibell (04:40):
Yeah, it's.
I think the pressure in openswimming it's a lot more
expectation than with masters.
You just a lot of people do,obviously, masters for fun, but
you've also got the competitiveside as well.
You can just have a swim or youcan compete at a high level and
I think that takes the pressureoff where open swimming it's
very serious.
(05:00):
So the masters is a very goodenvironment, very positive, very
happy.
Danielle Spurling (05:06):
Yeah, that's good to see your enjoyment back
in the swimming and obviouslyyou're still swimming so fast,
being able to race at the openchamps.
Kady Ibell (05:13):
Yeah, so the last.
So from 2021,.
I still had my good trainingbackground that pushed me
through to be able to hit thosetimes.
And in December just gone, I'vejust got a new job, so now I'm
doing full-time work rather thanpart-time work.
Yeah, keep the training up tobe able to keep that standard is
quite tricky.
(05:33):
So I'm still, yeah, figuringout my new routine to be able to
compete at that level.
But, yeah, I've done a lot inthe past that I can keep that
whole new training schedule.
So I was doing a lot more longdistance work and a lot more
pace work, and now I'm doingless sessions.
I have to do a bit more shortersprinting, so trying to keep
(05:55):
the hundreds and two hundreds upis going to be tricky, but,
yeah, I'm doing quite well atthe moment.
Danielle Spurling (06:01):
So what, what ?
How have the training sessionsdropped?
So, in terms of when you weredoing the open, how many were
you doing then and how many areyou doing now?
Kady Ibell (06:11):
Yeah, so at their home where I was training, I was
doing between seven and nineswims a week and a couple of gym
sessions on top of that, andnow I'm two to four sessions a
week and some gym if I can fitit in as well, and I was doing
between probably four and sixkilometers per session in with
the seven sessions a week and alot of pace work and some more
(06:33):
medley work in that as well.
But now it's like one to two Kafter work if I can fit it in
before it gets dark and beforethe pool closes in town.
So that's sort of the mainchange and a little bit more.
Yeah, just sprint based work atthe moment.
Danielle Spurling (06:47):
And do you think were you always a good 50
meter sprinter, or do you thinkthat that's come on now that
you're doing that, that sort ofparticular work in the water?
Kady Ibell (06:55):
Yeah, I think the lack of training that I've had
pushed me towards the fifties,because the hundreds drop off a
little bit with lack of training.
But as a little kid I was twoto 50, up to 1500.
So I was a bit of everything.
I was actually a backstrokerwhen I was little but that
changed when I was starting highschool and then I transitioned
(07:18):
to medley and I've always hadthat medley background because
my coaches have always said makesure young swimmers do all four
strokes and that gives youfitness and everything as well
and be able to compete ineverything.
And when I was 12, my coach atthe time he said like we want to
focus on like the 800 to keepthe fit and be able to show up
(07:38):
when the whole club competed inthose longer distance races and
points for the club.
But now, yeah, it'stransitioned to more brush
stroke, shorter races, 50 and100 and the 200 medley as well.
Danielle Spurling (07:51):
Have you found that you've had to change?
Obviously the stroke rate isdifferent between a 250.
But have you had to adjust anyparts of your technique for that
shift?
Kady Ibell (08:03):
A little bit.
I find probably with my longerfreestyle in the past I've had
to learn to get that rating up alittle bit and shorten it a
little bit and I'm not thetallest swimmer so I can't copy
long tall swimmers.
So trying to get the catchearlier and higher elbows in
brush stroke and a short, like Igot that narrow kick in brush
(08:24):
stroke.
That's sort of as you grow upit changes depending on how your
body changes and yeah,definitely narrow kick and high
elbows in the brush stroke isdifferent compared to my longer
brush stroke technique.
Danielle Spurling (08:36):
And with the full time work.
I mean when you, when you startfull time work in your and
you're trying to train, you getso tired from work and there's
not a lot of energy left over toput into your swimming.
So how do you manage to sort ofmotivate yourself to do that?
Kady Ibell (08:51):
It's tricky.
I've only been in the new jobsix weeks so I'm still figuring
it out.
But just, I think it's a goodmental release after work, going
for a swim at the moment ratherthan doing big sessions but
leading into state championshipsin April.
I want to be able to up thosecaves a little bit and get that
pace work back in rather thanjust the short sprints or just
(09:13):
like a float swim.
But I'm yet to really goodmental release after work.
I haven't done a lot ofmornings yet With the full time.
I'm still figuring out all thatschedule so I'm preferred the
afternoons at this stage.
But I sort of plan at the startof the week I'll do like
alternate days Monday, wednesday, friday swim and then alternate
(09:33):
days with the gym.
So I can just break it up alittle bit.
Good idea.
Danielle Spurling (09:37):
Yeah, because it's really tempting to let
that gym side of things slide toget into the water, but I think
it's super important tocontinue doing that.
Do you have someone running agym program for you or do you do
your own thing?
Kady Ibell (09:49):
At the moment I'm at Fit Stop North Torma and it's a
very nice group class and it'slike every Monday's like a
perform class where you do a bitof cardio, a bit of strength,
and then Tuesday, friday is amore strength based, and then
Wednesdays and Saturdays arecardio.
So I can sort of balance out myweek through that and just
(10:09):
focus on more of a cardio ifI've done less swim, or focus on
the lifting days, the strength,and trying to build up sort of
with the squats and dead lifts,the main lifts, and trying to
work out like the fourcompetitions make sure I'm not
doing too heavy so I'm notgetting too sore, and then I
don't want to get sick either.
So I'm trying to just balanceit out with one swim.
(10:30):
One gym is to sort of stretchout my muscles as well.
Danielle Spurling (10:33):
Yeah, good idea.
Are you someone that likes tosort of do a bit of activation
before you get in the water, ordo you just hop in cold?
Kady Ibell (10:40):
Definitely not cold, because I'm getting older now
and I'm feeling my age a lot inthese competitions.
But I try and just do a littlebit of stretching, especially
the night before and then on theday doing a little bit of core
activation, little bit of gluteactivation.
Especially with the sprint reststroke is quite hard to get
going, yeah, so mainly littlebit of core, little bit of
(11:02):
stretching, little bit of legs,wings, that sort of stuff very
basic but really necessary.
Danielle Spurling (11:07):
I mean, I see so many swimmers just jumping
the water without any activationand yeah, it really affects
your shoulders later in life, sokeep doing it.
Kady Ibell (11:16):
Yes, keep going.
I'm not too old yet, but Idefinitely am starting to feel
it, yeah you do?
Danielle Spurling (11:20):
You get tight , you get tighter.
I think I mean you lose a rangeof flexibility.
So it's really important tokeep to keep going with that.
Kady Ibell (11:27):
Yeah, especially now that I'm on my feet eight till
four thirties every day ratherthan just morning and afternoon.
I'm not getting my naps throughthe day anymore, unfortunately.
But yeah, just trying to keepthat length in my muscles and
off my feet if I can.
With the swimming, yeah, what'sthe new job?
I'm a therapy assistant now atthe Chwamba Hospital.
So yeah, doing five days a weekat the moment and my contract
(11:50):
is going well so far.
And yeah, compared to swimcoaching it's very different.
But working with strokepatients and adult
rehabilitation and all of that,so it's going very well.
Danielle Spurling (12:02):
That's in the rehab of the hospital.
Yeah, okay.
Kady Ibell (12:06):
Yes, rehab, yeah, section there.
So I've got the medical wardand the in and out patient
therapy as well.
So at the moment I'm in therehab ward.
Danielle Spurling (12:15):
Yeah, I bet it's really real.
I'm sure it's really rewardingbecause you're helping them get
back to what they werepre-accident or pre-stroke.
Kady Ibell (12:24):
Yes, because I'm not just doing exercises with them,
I'm helping them withswallowing again, talking again,
walking again.
So it's a very, very differentenvironment, but it's very
positive as well.
Matches in with my masters isvery well.
Danielle Spurling (12:38):
And back to your training.
Are you now still training withthe squad, with the master
squad, or by yourself?
Kady Ibell (12:46):
So I've never trained with a master's squad.
I swim under, at the moment,the University of Queensland
masters, but because I'm livingin Toowoomba, I just train with
the national squad up atFairhome College.
But now that I've got full-timework I'm just training on my
own at the local pool just acouple of times a week when I
think Wow that's really tough.
Danielle Spurling (13:07):
That's tough swimming by yourself, isn't it?
Kady Ibell (13:10):
Yes, very, I'm figuring it out slowly because I
get there and I'm like oh, I'lljust, I'll do this set today
that I don't really feel like it.
So I've just got to keep thatmotivation going, that I've got
this competition coming up andwant to keep working towards
that.
Danielle Spurling (13:24):
The world masters you went to last year in
Japan, in 2023.
Was that the first worldmasters you'd convened at?
Kady Ibell (13:30):
Yes, so I turned 25 in 2021.
So I joined masters when I was25 and that was supposed to be
the year that Japan Worlds weregoing to be on, so I was like,
yep, ready to go.
And then, yeah, got postponed,so I felt like I had a little
bit more experience before Iwent into that.
But, yeah, it was definitely myfirst championships, which was
very exciting, first overseastrip as well, so that was a big
(13:53):
learning curve as well.
So with the heat as well it was42 degrees that got like it
over there every day.
So managing with all thosedifferent circumstances as well
was tricky, but I loved thecompetition and that whole
environment and we had a reallygood group of people that went
over, so very enjoyable.
Danielle Spurling (14:11):
Oh, that's really nice.
Did you stay together as agroup?
Kady Ibell (14:16):
We didn't.
My family and I, we went over.
So we had five of us go overand we just met up with the
whole team at the pool andcaught up each day and supported
each other, depending on whoserace was on where, because they
had the two pool at thecompetition, so the men and
women were on different times.
So I had a lot of support fromthe club.
They came and watched mebecause I was the last hit,
(14:37):
because I was in the youngestage group.
They all finished theircompetition and they came over
and supported me through that.
Danielle Spurling (14:42):
Oh, that's nice, Really lovely.
Yeah, yeah, that's really nice.
That's what I love aboutmasters.
I know I know that sort ofrange of ages that you have, but
everyone has that one thing incommon that they all love
swimming, and I think it's areal age barrier breaker.
Kady Ibell (14:57):
It is because I find that's another difference from
open swimming is because thekids are so much younger.
They haven't experienced whatwe've experienced.
Yeah, they just don't have thatsame enthusiasm or commitment
and there's a lot of stress inthat situation for them.
So when I'm at open meets Ipretty much hang with all the
masters group anyway.
Just we're all positive andwe're all making finals, so it's
(15:19):
a great environment to be in,yeah for sure.
Danielle Spurling (15:24):
And what was some of the?
I know you mentioned the heatin Japan.
What were some of the thingsthat you didn't expect and you
had to sort of work your waythrough them?
Kady Ibell (15:31):
The language barrier .
That was very tricky becauseour medley relay team we meddled
in the four by 50 medley relayand we originally came forth and
we looked at the reaction timeson the changeovers and we saw
that the Chinese team hadactually jumped the start on one
of their legs and they hadn'tupdated the results.
(15:54):
So we had to go down and tryand sort that all that situation
out.
But the language barrier, therewas no English so we really
struggled to let them know whatwas happening and we eventually
found an interpreter.
So that was very handy.
We ever got all that situationsorted through that.
But yeah, the language barrier,the heat, the food, yeah, just
(16:15):
the travel, trying to figure outthe trains and buses and all
their schedules as well.
So that was probably thebiggest thing was the travel.
Danielle Spurling (16:23):
What were some of the challenges?
With the food, With the food?
Kady Ibell (16:26):
just my normal food that I would have here before a
competition.
There's like no cereal, nocereal, anything or bread even
over there and yeah, just tryingto.
They have sushi or rice butthat's their sort of breakfast
and yeah, I had none of mynormal food there.
So trying to figure out what Icould eat and what I could
stomach before I would race,that was one of the tricky parts
(16:48):
.
A lot of my friends they boughtfood over, but I didn't.
I was just scared to try thatso I just thought I would just
get something when I'm there,but there was nothing I could
really eat before so that was abit tricky.
So, yeah, just had a few littlesandwiches and things like that
, rather than lots of food.
Danielle Spurling (17:05):
Well then, I mean, you've got to sort of go
to one World Champs first tofigure out how to do the next
one.
Really, because there's so manythings like the warmup pool,
for instance, is a nightmare youcan't do your proper warmup.
Kady Ibell (17:17):
No, I was not expecting that either, but the
relay day was very trickybecause we had the men and the
women together as well, so therewas like 6,000 people there at
once, so trying to just fit in alane and also they swim
backwards there you go the otherway.
Danielle Spurling (17:32):
That was really tricky as well.
Kady Ibell (17:33):
Oh no, it's so hard, yeah, trying to remember to go
the right way, because I was soscared of getting injured by
going the wrong way.
So I've had to concentrate alot in the warmups as well.
Danielle Spurling (17:42):
Yeah, it's so hard to do backstroke in those
when you're warming up at theWorlds for that.
Kady Ibell (17:47):
Yeah, I literally did like three or four strokes
and I turn over just to makesure no one's coming my way as
well, I know.
If I can control mine, but Ican't control if they're going
to do it.
So that was very tricky.
Danielle Spurling (17:56):
Exactly, and all of those challenges.
You had four races that youmeddled in.
Which one were you the happiestwith, and tell us about that
race?
Kady Ibell (18:06):
Yes, I would say the 100th breaststroke.
I was very relieved because Iwas ranked.
I had to look at the entry listbefore I went over and I was
ranked quite high in all of myswims.
And the first day the 200backstroke didn't go quite how I
planned and I was like I washappy with fit.
I was really excited that I gotfit in the world.
And then I had my 100breaststroke and it was one of
(18:28):
my main swims and I was like Iwould really like to meddle in
that and I touched the wall andI saw a third and I was very
excited with that.
But I also then realized I onlymeddled by 0.04 of a second.
Danielle Spurling (18:39):
Wow, it's close.
Kady Ibell (18:40):
So that was very close.
So I felt very, very gratefulto even get a medal over there
and that was, yeah, very bigrelief.
In that one I liked all four ofmy medals, obviously.
That was amazing.
And having the relay so I saymy 100 breaststroke was my best
individual race, and then myfour by 50 medley, doing that
(19:02):
with my three other UQ girls,was very exciting as well.
Danielle Spurling (19:05):
Yeah, that's so much fun having a relay like
that.
Kady Ibell (19:09):
I love relays.
Yeah, we weren't expecting tohave one, because we had four
women and four men, so thatworked out perfectly and we
could have the two female relays, two male relays, but then also
the mixed relays.
So getting to swim with the menwas very exciting as well.
Danielle Spurling (19:23):
That's cool, were you all around the same age
.
Kady Ibell (19:27):
No, so I was.
How old was I at the time?
27.
And then the ladies had 30years on me, but the men were
all 40 to 50 to 60s.
So I was definitely theyoungest by a lot.
But I just can't believe howquick these men and women are at
that age.
(19:47):
So that's another reason why Ijoined.
Masters was just the amazementof how people can swim at that
age.
And I have a few older friendsin my UQ team that do like the
400 butterfly at 80 years old.
I'm just like how do you dothat?
And they're like this is thefun one.
I can't sprint.
I'm like, yeah, that's notenjoyment for me, but you can do
(20:08):
that one, I'll let you havethat one.
So I love seeing older, olderswimmers swim as well.
Yeah, Just how quick they are.
Danielle Spurling (20:14):
They're really inspirational,
ridiculously.
Kady Ibell (20:17):
Yeah, and what is?
Danielle Spurling (20:19):
what does Katie look like in the in the
marshalling area?
Are you a quiet sort of personor do you like to talk to people
?
Kady Ibell (20:26):
It depends on the race for me.
I get pretty nervous with my200 medley because it's such a
important race to me, so I getquite nervous and just sit sort
of by myself.
But all like the 50-meter swimsor the real age, like I'm a bit
crazy.
I go and talk to everyone I canand I'm very fast with my
talking, so I get a bit puffedbefore I have to go out.
(20:46):
So I have to sit calm justbefore I go out so I can
actually get my breath backafter chatting to everyone,
which was really good in Japanwith our relays, with the
marshalling area, and we werejust taking selfies with all the
other teams and having goodchats with everyone, trying to
figure out where they're allfrom and different language
barriers.
So now having the selfies withall of them was really cool.
Danielle Spurling (21:08):
And what are some of your other Masters
competitions that you've been inthat you've really enjoyed
competing at?
Kady Ibell (21:15):
So my very first competition in Masters was
Queensland State Long Course atKauana and it was such a big
learning curve for me becauseone for swimming with the men
side by side and I was a bitoblivious with especially my 100
butterfly.
I was like I'll put in my timethat I normally would swim at
open competitions and they putme in the middle of the men and
(21:36):
I just drowned.
I was so swamped with waves itwas ridiculous.
So having that competition wasa good learning experience.
And then I've had greatBarre-Reef Masters games.
I loved that.
That was every time I go.
There is amazing.
And then PampasivaChampionships.
I haven't been to a nationalchampionships yet.
I'm going to Darwin in May, sothat will be my first ever
(21:58):
Nationals.
And then the Premier Leagueswimming competition.
I experienced that in Novemberlast year with my team.
We were actually one at thatcompetition so we had a really,
really good afternoon.
It was just not serious at all.
It was just a good teamenvironment and just supporting
each other as we go, which wasreally nice.
Danielle Spurling (22:19):
Tell us about the Premier League because I'm
trying to get my head around it.
It's a little bit like the ISLtype, yeah.
Kady Ibell (22:24):
Right, yes, which I like.
It was short course, which Iprefer, and we had a team of
eight and it had to be half boys, half girls and had to be under
I think it was like 250 yearscombined with everyone.
So you couldn't just have allyoung quick swimmers, you had to
have the older age group aswell and had to figure out who
(22:47):
could spend what strokes as well.
So you had to sort of balanceit out.
The hardest part was the mysteryrace.
So you had to roll a dice andthey said at the start of the
day they had like number one itwas going to be 203, number 200
back, things like that, and wewere all praying that it was
going to be the 25 butterfly or25 brush stroke.
And it came out every time,except for, I think, two out of
(23:10):
the six weren't the 203 styleand every other roll the dice
was 203 style.
So I copped that one.
So that was great, yes, but youhave eight.
I think we had eight teams atthat competition and the top
four after the first round wentto the A final and the bottom
four went to the B final and thewinner of both finals got prize
(23:32):
money.
Oh nice, that was a verydifferent experience with that,
so that was really good.
Danielle Spurling (23:37):
Yeah, how often do they run those?
Kady Ibell (23:41):
I'm not really sure.
I think there's been five intotal so far and there's another
one coming up, but one of myfriends just invited me to it.
I think it's every couple ofmonths maybe, or every year.
So we were November and I thinkthe next one's coming up.
Yeah, because it was the veryfirst, so the one I went to it
was the very first Mastersedition, so I think it was just
(24:04):
open swimming before that and alot of the Olympians went to the
last one, so this was the firstMasters one, so it was a lot of
fun.
Danielle Spurling (24:13):
Yeah, it sounds it.
Yes, it was great.
Yeah, and you've been numberone in the world for the 25 to
29 200.
I am short course.
Yeah, when did you do the swimthat placed you at that ranking?
Kady Ibell (24:27):
It was the 2021 Brisbane Southside competition
at Chandler.
Okay.
Yeah so I was actually racingCasey Flouch at the time and he
had big inspiration to me so itwas good to race him and I am
better at backstroke than himand he's better at breaststroke
than me.
So I had to really knuckle downon that backstroke and try and
(24:48):
catch him and they just took offon me in breaststroke.
So that really pulled me out inthat first 100 meters and I
just had to hang on after that.
So I was very happy with thatswim.
Danielle Spurling (24:58):
How do you build a 200 I?
Kady Ibell (25:00):
am.
Oh, it's a tricky one.
So for me my breaststrokeobviously is one of my strengths
, but in the actual 200 medleymy backstroke is actually my
strength, so I've got to not gotoo hard in that butterfly.
So the 50 flies just like astrong, solid effort, easy speed
, and then pretty much just gohard from there.
(25:21):
But I try.
I was taught when I was about 17from one of Michael Bolsfum's
at the time that he used to workon every.
So the first 25 of each 50, youtry and go, it's slower than
the second 25.
So you try and build each 50 aswell.
So the second half of each 50had to be quicker than the first
.
So I've always sort of use thatphilosophy and give everything
(25:45):
in the freestyle.
So, and then short course.
Yeah, short course is hard aswell, yeah, so you had to work
with turns.
Oh, I love, I love short course, me too.
It just it's a lot.
That's the only time you can do.
100 I am, so that's the bestthing.
I love 100 I am, but I do lovemy 200.
Are you good at turns?
I could be better, but yes, Iprefer short course because of
(26:07):
my terms I'm.
Because I'm shorter, I can sortof get in and out a lot quicker
.
I just have to work on theunderwater part.
I'm good at the turn.
I just need to fix theunderwater part.
Danielle Spurling (26:18):
Yeah, what do you mean when you say you have
to fix it?
Why, what's wrong?
Kady Ibell (26:21):
with it.
I think I just I don't do itfast enough.
I'm sort of like not a relaxedsort of state.
I just, yeah, I think, oh yeah,I've done, done my turn and
then I can start swimming, but Iforget about I have to actually
work harder in that underwater.
So I've been trying to work onthat the last six months or so.
Danielle Spurling (26:38):
How many dolphin kicks you do off a turn
for your freestyle, oh forfreestyle.
Kady Ibell (26:44):
I think it's four.
I try and do in 50 and 100.
I don't really have enoughoxygen for 200.
But in my 200 medley I work oneight for butterfly, seven for
backstroke, one obviously forbreaststroke and then four for
freestyle Yep.
So I've got a specific patternfor my medleys.
Danielle Spurling (27:06):
But that's really interesting, does that?
Do you think that puts you in abit of oxygen debt by the time
you get to that freestyle?
Kady Ibell (27:11):
A little bit.
So for my short course it doesa little bit.
So I try and just see how I goat the time.
But my long course, that's theonly way I can keep my momentum
going.
So I looked at Katinka Hosuthat's who I studied leading
into that and that seemed towork for me as well.
And if I, like I said before,if I go too slow and relaxed
(27:32):
with my underwater, then I gointo oxygen debt.
So I have to make sure it'snice and zippy.
Danielle Spurling (27:37):
Yeah, wow, that's really impressive
underwater.
So you do the same amount offthe dive yeah.
Kady Ibell (27:43):
So eight off the fly dive, yeah, and then I probably
go four off the turn in shortcourse, but in long course I
just go eight off the dive andwhat are the master's events?
Danielle Spurling (27:53):
I know you mentioned you're going to Darwin
, but long term, what sort of?
What are you sort of aiming for?
What are your aspirations?
Kady Ibell (28:00):
Singapore World Champs in 2025.
That's my next one.
It'll be my last World Champsin the 25 to 29 age group, so
I'd love to improve on myresults from Japan now that I've
had an overseas trip andlearned all about what and what
not to do.
But, yeah, I think I'llprobably do the same events as I
(28:21):
did in 2023, depending on thetraining.
If I can get enough training inbefore that, then I'll probably
look at the same events,because half of them are brush
stroke and half of them aremedley.
So, yeah, that's sort of thenext big goal I've got.
Yeah, this whole next seasonit'll be state championships in
Brisbane, national championshipsin Darwin, pampax in November
(28:44):
2024, and then World Champs in2025.
That's sort of the next bigstep.
So, and then I'll look at afterthat with life where it heads
as well.
Yes, yeah, of course, I'mapproaching 30, so getting on a
little bit.
So, yeah, trying to make somebigger life decisions as well.
So I thought I'll have a goodhit out at 2025 World Champs and
(29:05):
, yeah, go from there.
Danielle Spurling (29:06):
They haven't really said when Singapore what
time of the year it's going tobe, but it will tend to be
around July, august, that typeof time.
Kady Ibell (29:15):
I'm expecting that as well.
So it'll be interesting theheat over there as well.
So at least I've prepared fromJapan being in August as well.
But like Doha is going to bequite different this year, I'm
obviously not going, but yeah,just to see how everyone
responds compared to Japan willbe very interesting.
Danielle Spurling (29:33):
Singapore is a bit more tropical than Japan,
so it's probably a bit moresimilar.
I lived there for a littlewhile and it's similar to the
weathering by North Queenslandsort of humidity, but it's the
same temperature every daybasically.
Kady Ibell (29:47):
Well, it would be good, kind of like Darwin and
Cairns.
So that kind of temperature,yeah, for sure.
Danielle Spurling (29:52):
Yeah, can you give us a bit of an insight
into one of the sessions thatyou do by yourself?
Kady Ibell (29:58):
Yes.
So I try a little bit moresprint work, obviously, and my
go-to set is it's a long set,it's 55-25s and you start at
10-25s on one minute and thenyou have a little swim off and
then 9-25s on 55.
And then you work your way downto the last 25 dive start on 15
(30:21):
seconds.
So when I'm doing that brushstroke it's a bit of a push but
it's been a very good one for meto get that speed up ready to
go for my 50 and my start of my100.
So I'll have to do some more ofmy back end for the next couple
of competitions because it'snot just 50m swims.
But yeah, that's my go-to for mysprint and what will you do to
(30:42):
work on that back end Probablyyeah, I used to do a few
sessions where I would do afterwe do a bit of a process with
this first little bitprogression.
But eight 100s breaststroke onfour minutes sprint, and I've
never done that long course.
So I'm going to be doing alittle bit of progression
leading into that like startwith like two and then the next
(31:04):
week maybe go four and just seehow I'm progressing with time
and stroke as well.
So just focusing on drillsleading into it as well, so I
have that efficiency and thenstart to drop the times down
from there and see how long Ican sort of hold that pace for.
And that will be my sort of goto for leading into trying to
get that Olympic trialqualifying time.
Danielle Spurling (31:25):
Are you?
I forgot to ask are youtraining in a 25 meter pool or
50?
Kady Ibell (31:29):
When I train on my own downtown it'll be in a 50
meter pool, and then if I trainwith a squad at the Fairham
College pool, that's 25.
So I've always trained 25, butthe pool in the middle of town
is 50 meter.
So I am enjoying that at themoment because it's outdoors.
Danielle Spurling (31:46):
Everyone that comes on the podcast.
I love to ask them their deepdive five, which is their
swimming favorite?
So just give me the first thingthat pops into your head.
Favorite pool that you've everswam at Outdoor pool at
Melbourne Aquatic Center.
Kady Ibell (31:58):
Oh very nice, I love that pool.
Danielle Spurling (32:01):
Do you?
Okay, you had some good timesthere.
Kady Ibell (32:04):
I have, and it's.
It just feels so light.
The water feels like it doesn'tfeel like 25 meters.
I've never swam in at 50.
I've just done 25 competitionsthere, but I've got my best ever
result at Australia Nationalsin that pool, so good times.
Danielle Spurling (32:17):
Good memories , very good.
How about your favorite gogglesFavorite?
Kady Ibell (32:21):
goggles, opal Speedos I am.
I used to train in the OpalClear Speedos, but now I like
the Murud.
Danielle Spurling (32:29):
And how about your favorite breaststroke
training drill?
It's called.
Kady Ibell (32:33):
Lerada, so L-A-R-A-D-A, which is left arm,
right arm, double arm.
So I learnt that at aQueensland breaststroke camp and
I've used it ever since.
Danielle Spurling (32:43):
Yep, and is it just one, one of each?
Yeah?
Kady Ibell (32:46):
So you keep the legs the same, but keep the other
arm out in front.
So do the left arm, do theright arm and then do a full
stroke of breaststroke.
Danielle Spurling (32:55):
Nice, I like that one.
Kady Ibell (32:56):
Yeah, it's very fancy.
Danielle Spurling (32:58):
And how about when you, when you're not in
Japan, and you can eat the foodthat you like?
What's your favorite pre-racemeal?
Kady Ibell (33:05):
Oh, we have apricot chicken is normally my go-to the
night before or honey masteredchicken, so usually rice chicken
, things like that.
Danielle Spurling (33:13):
Nice.
And how about on competitionday?
What do you sort of eat beforebreakfast?
Kady Ibell (33:18):
I struggle to eat but I usually have raisin toast
that's one of my go-to's bananasand pincots for jam.
They're my sort of three littlequick snacks, plus pout raids
and things like that, if I can'tstomach the food.
Danielle Spurling (33:32):
Yeah, because nerves make such an impact on
race day, don't they?
Kady Ibell (33:36):
Yes, and I've had a lot of trouble in the past.
I was on reflux medication fora long time and we figured out
that my blood sugar droppedridiculously, that I pretty much
was nearly a coma toast withhow low it was.
So I figured out if I don't eat, it drops at least two points.
So I've yeah, as I've gottenolder, I'm like, yep, I can see
where that importance peoplehave told me in the past, but
(33:59):
now I get it.
So make sure I eat Justsomething, just something little
, some mouthful here and there.
Danielle Spurling (34:04):
And how about the swimmer you most admire and
why?
Kady Ibell (34:08):
Oh, I've got a couple Like.
Jess Shipper is one of myfavorites.
She's just super friendly and,I think, a little bit underrated
she yeah, my favorite ever raceto watch was the 4x100 Medley
at Beijing and I've had a lot oftalks about all of that with
her and just such an inspirationto me as a young kid and I was
(34:29):
never really a butterflyer butshe sort of got me into fly as a
younger kid.
I just wanted to look up to herand be like her with that.
But one of the most friendlypeople I've ever met.
And you mentioned you had a fewothers.
Oh, yes, natalie Coglund.
She's one of my favorites fromAmerica In the old age group.
I do like my older era swimmersand just wanted her quotes that
(34:55):
she had and I really like where, what she did with her training
and how when she got older shetransitioned from all of those
events from Beijing longer, like200 Medley, 200 Backstroke into
the Sprint freestyle and justhow she transitions from there
is very interesting.
So I do like watching that.
Danielle Spurling (35:14):
Have you and she's got a book out, I think,
hasn't she?
Have you read that?
Kady Ibell (35:17):
I think so I haven't read it yet, so that's sort of
on my list.
Danielle Spurling (35:21):
Well, Katie, thank you so much for sharing
your insights and experienceswith us today.
I'm really excited to followyour journey and I hope to meet
you in person on Paul Deck andDarwin that would be great,
darwin would be great, and thenmaybe at MSAC one day as well,
that would be really good.
Kady Ibell (35:35):
Yeah, for sure.
Danielle Spurling (35:37):
Thank you for having me.
Yeah, you're welcome.
Take care, see you.
I hope you enjoyed my chat withKatie and took something from
Katie's journey that you can addinto your own swimming and help
you improve down the track.
Congratulations to FelicityHawkins for winning our
competition for the Form Goggles, and thank you to everyone that
(36:00):
left us a lovely review onApple or even sent them
personally.
Till next time.
Happy swimming and bye for now.
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