Champions Mojo for Masters Swimmers

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

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

Che'Re...

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

We dig into the single biggest mattress mistake—price extremes—and map the sweet spot where quality and longevity meet:...

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

Bryanna started late, carved out high school records, and earned her place at the University of Indianap...

Ready for a great love story? Former national and world-record-holding Masters swimmer Joe Wotton joins us on deck to share the stories, nicknames, and love that shaped a champion’s life in and out of the pool. Joe Wotton, 66 years young, swims for Swim Melbourne Masters—the Mahis—and brings with him a lifetime in aquatics. His journey began in Massachusetts, continued in backyard pools after his family moved to Florida, and grew t...

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

We dig into...

She calls herself a swimming vagabond! The deck at Fort Lauderdale buzzes, and at 70-years old, Peggy McDonnell brings the kind of energy that makes you want to put on your goggles. She didn’t swim in high school or college. She found Masters after a move to Florida, chased a national title in the 200 IM, and shocked herself with an All-American time that arrived like lightning. Then life happened: knee surgery, a finicky neck, and...

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

Kirk approaches the holidays the same way he approaches Mas...

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

We dig into h...

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

Eve opens up about AGUA’s unique mix of recent grads and seasoned p...

A pool deck can feel like a second home, and today’s conversation proves why. In this brand New episode we chat with attorney and masters swimmer William Robinson at the Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Center to trace a life shaped by laps: early lessons in New Haven, Connecticut with Olympic great Don Schollander, a joyful return sparked by his daughters, and a training rhythm that blends endurance heart with sprint ambitions. William sha...

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

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

Zulia’s story is a powerful one: a devastating car ...

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

We sit down with Brian—peak performance coach, certified dog trainer, and author of Transformational Dog Train...

One of our very favorite episodes on how to train, taper, and thrive in Masters Swimming. In this encore show we sat down with world record masters swimmer and veteran swim journalist Jeff Cummings to map out a smarter path to speed: focused training, practical tapering, honest recovery, and habits you can sustain with a full-time job and a full life. Jeff opens up about training alone and still finding intensity, the “exercise set...

What if your 60s are your prime? We sit down with Janet Carbin—a CBS Survivor Season 39 favorite, veteran swim coach, and one of the few female chief lifeguards in the country—to unpack the mindset, training habits, and nutrition choices that keep her strong in open water and in life. Janet brings a rare mix of humility and edge: she earns respect by doing the work, leads by example, and shows how authenticity can be a competitive ...

In one of our favorite episodes as an encore we find out: What does it really take to move from 300 pounds to a 9:15 Ironman without losing your love of great food and a full life? We sit down with chef-turned-triathlete Will Liebig to unpack the habits, community, and mindset that reshaped his health over a decade. Will is open about the grind: he swapped isolation for master swimming, built cycling and running tribes, and embrace...

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

What does it take to win national swimming titles while working chaotic ER shifts and raising a competitive family? In this encore episode, we sit down with masters legend and ER physician Kurt Dixon to unpack the habits, mindset, and simple systems that keep him fast at 54—and grounded through real-life storms. Kurt’s résumé is staggering: 100+ U.S. masters national wins, world records, the Triple Crown of Marathon Swimming, and I...