Episode Transcript
[00:00:01] Speaker A: Welcome to the Edge, a podcast by Tag Heuer. Our guest this time is swimming sensation world champion and world record holder Kyle Chalmers. In this episode, Kyle relives the moment that he sees the gold medal in the 200 metres freestyle at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. He also talks about the moments that shaped him, his ability to overcome adversity and how he embraces high pressure moments. I'm your host, Naomi Schiff and this is the Edge, a podcast by Tag Heuer.
Well, Carl, thank you so much for joining us today. I'm really excited to get talking to you and to hear more about your story and I know that our listeners are really eager to get to know you better. So first of all, I'd love to ask, where are you right now?
[00:00:52] Speaker B: I'm currently in Melbourne. So Melbourne, Australia, is that where you.
[00:00:56] Speaker A: Live or what exactly are you doing there?
[00:00:58] Speaker B: No, so I live in Adelaide, which is a seven hour drive away or 45 minute flight away. So just across in Melbourne for the, a couple of days to do some sponsorship commitments and then yeah, back to Adelaide tomorrow night. So yeah, it's always nice to come across to Melbourne. There's a bit more going on here than Adelaide. So come across, see some friends and yeah, do some sponsorship things.
[00:01:20] Speaker A: Those good old sponsorship commitments, right?
[00:01:23] Speaker B: Yeah, for sure.
[00:01:25] Speaker A: Now I want to give our listeners the opportunity to get to know you better, but from the beginning. So why don't you start by telling us where you grew up.
[00:01:34] Speaker B: So I grew up in country South Australia. So a town called Port Lincoln has about 13,000 people in the, in the area. I'm not sure how many people live in the actual town, but in that broader community there's 13,000. So I started, started my swimming over there as a nine year old, but yeah, moved across to Adelaide in South Australia, so the major city 2012. So yeah, I was, I was in Port Lincoln for the first 14 years of my life. Still go back there quite a lot to my grandparents are there, my cousins are there, all my friends are there. So spend a fair bit of time back in Port Lincoln still. But yeah, spent the first part of my, my life there, started my swimming career there and then when swimming started to get a little bit more serious, moved across to Adelaide.
[00:02:19] Speaker A: Amazing. Okay, so you say you started your, your swimming career over there. Where exactly did your love for swimming come from and how did you come across this as a sport that you then, you know, found out that you were going to pursue as a career?
[00:02:33] Speaker B: So I started, I had a, I was lucky enough to have A swimming pool in my backyard and my dad had just finished up playing professional Aussie Rules football so he always wanted to try and stay fit. So he'd get in the pool and swim quite regularly and I wanted to join him. So as a nine year old I was one of very few kids that could swim 50 meters comfortably in my country town. So then got selected to represent Paul Lincoln in Adelaide at a competition and swimming kind of just took off from there really. And it wasn't really until I started making the Australian junior team that I thought that I could start. So it wasn't until, yeah, I started representing Australia and junior teams that I started taking swimming a little bit more seriously and then started making it onto the senior team and started to get some sponsors and started earning some money with swimming that I started to take it a lot more seriously. So it was never a sport that I dreamed of doing. Growing up I didn't know very much about swimming at all. I never followed it.
I just kind of got involved in it and then happened to be good at it. So stuck at it and absolutely love it now. I love the lifestyle, I love being a swimmer and have had quite a lot of success doing it. So yeah, I'm pretty happy with my choice.
[00:03:44] Speaker A: So that's a really interesting point you make that you didn't. It wasn't necessarily something that you grew up knowing or knowing rather that you wanted to pursue. So for listeners out there who might think that, you know, you need to be a sort of Tiger woods character, where you start at 4 years old or 3 years old to get good at something. How old were you when you sort of made that click in your own mind that this was something you were going to do professionally?
[00:04:09] Speaker B: Not until I was 16. So when I first made the Australian senior team to go to the World Championships in Russia was when I first prioritised swimming as my major sport to that point I was still playing Aussie Rules football and still playing basketball at school. So I was doing quite a lot and I think that that's was extremely important for me as a kid in my development was to do as many different sports as I possibly could and obviously I'm still training and being healthy and active that it translates quite well across to swimming that I ended up choosing. But yeah, it wasn't until 2015 when I was, yes, 16, just about to turn 17, that I prioritize swimming, which is probably rare, like most, most swimmers do prioritize it as younger kids, like you know, 9, 10 year olds, you hear that they're swimming ridiculous amounts of sessions and kilometers per week from a young age. But a lot of those kids tend to burn out. So I think I was very lucky with the pathway and the coaches that I had around me that helped me, help me with that as a, as a younger kid.
[00:05:08] Speaker A: Yeah, I absolutely agree. I think I've also come across a lot of athletes in, in my domain that some of them started too early and as you say, burnt, burnt out. A.
Now you've also been caught on camera on a couple of occasions saying that you love being a part of high pressure moments. So what is it about those moments that you enjoy so much and how do you conquer them?
[00:05:29] Speaker B: I guess for me I train so hard. Like the, you know, my major competitions come around very irregularly and you train so hard and sacrifice so much for that moment. So for me I train up to almost 40, 50 hours a week, um, 50 weeks of the year for those big moments. So I guess when I finally get to them it's like all the sacrifice and hard work is finally paying off. So I get to enjoy, enjoy myself. And obviously leading into a competition we start to taper down. So we start to do less work in the pool. So the energy naturally goes up and my excitement level goes up. And like I said, I trained so hard for that moment or those, those moments that I get once a year, twice a year. So I just enjoy being in them now.
[00:06:14] Speaker A: That is a lot of training time per week and that takes an immense amount of dedication, I would say. So what mindset, if there is one, would you say that you adopt and apply when it comes to life? And also swimming?
[00:06:27] Speaker B: For me it's all about setting goals, whether it's long term goals, weekly goals, daily goals. Like I'm very self motivated and want to be the very best I can possibly be. So for me it's yes, setting as many goals as I possibly can and doing everything in my power to fulfill those goals. And I aim pretty high. Like a lot of the goals I have still, I haven't achieved. And that's probably what still keeps me hungry and motivated after being on the Australian team for over 10 years now. So.
But yeah, that's, that's something that's, I definitely think has helped me massively in my career is goal setting and actually holding myself accountable to achieving those goals.
[00:07:05] Speaker A: It's almost like a dangling that little carrot in front of you that you always have something in front of you that is constantly motivating you to move forward. Would you say that, you know that mindset that you, you apply, how would you say that that affects your approach to what you do?
[00:07:20] Speaker B: I think that it affects my lifestyle outside of the pool in a way because I have to sacrifice everything I possibly can to have the success I want to have in the pool. So you miss out on, you know, important family events or birth, like personal birthdays. Normally I'm overseas for, so I don't get to celebrate with friends and family or, you know, most of my weekends has revolved around sitting on the couch, preparing for the next week of training and doing some form of recovery. And as I've got older, it's been even more so that I've got to prioritize sleep and recovery more than what I might have done eight years ago. So I think that, yeah, having those big goals and having success in the pool obviously comes with sacrifice and hard work. And so that's probably the only downside to it at times is that you miss out on things. But I think that success and what I've been able to achieve and the experiences I've been able to have makes it all worthwhile, for sure.
[00:08:14] Speaker A: Amazing. So now that our listeners know a little bit more about who you are, where you grew up, you know, your work ethic, your dedication, let us take a little time machine. Back to April 2018. You were about to take part in the 200 meter freestyle. Can you tell us about the preparation that you had to put in for the Commonwealth Games that year?
[00:08:38] Speaker B: Yeah, that was a big one for me because it was a home Commonwealth game. So it's very rare that I get to race in Australia in front of a home crowd and have friends and family in the stands. So there was 15,000 Australians there supporting me. I was so lucky to have, yeah, family there at the time, my grandparents. So, yeah, I put a lot of hard work into that year to be able to have success at the Commonwealth Games. And I knew that I was going to have a very busy program. I think I raced in five different events obviously at that point in my career as well. My 200 freestyle never was my strongest event or the event that I prioritized the most. I'd always been 100 freestyler to that point that, yeah, I could do a 200 freestyle, but I'd never raced it internationally. So 2018 was the first time I raced it on the international stage. So I was pretty nervous for it. It was my first individual race of the competition I had. I remember making it through to the final when I knew that the final I had the Four by one freestyle that night as well for Australia. So I'm always very proud to be a part of relays and doing it as a team, but I had to do the 200 freestyle first. Duncan Scott was in the race, who's had a lot of success internationally.
Chad leclo, who's obviously also had a huge amount of success, so. And Matt Caughton, who is another Australian, very famous Australian swimmer. So there was, it was a stacked final, so I wasn't probably expecting to win a gold medal in it, but again, stuck to my race plan and I'd trained so hard for that moment that the hard work paid off and was able to touch, touch the wall first. And it's my one and only individual 200 freestyle medal I've ever won. So I'm very proud that I can reflect on that and say that I was able to win an individual international medal in multiple events.
[00:10:22] Speaker A: Well, that's just amazing. I mean, even just hearing the story from you about the fans being there, your family being there, obviously with such a competitive lineup gives me goosebumps, to be honest. So could you describe to us what the mood and the atmosphere was during the build up to that 200 meters?
[00:10:40] Speaker B: Yeah, it was crazy. Like having 15,000 pretty well Australians in the crowd at a home Commonwealth Games. You know, like getting on the bus, you have an Aussie bus driver, the people serving you food in the, in the village is Australians. Like all the volunteers are Australian. So everyone's wanting to talk to the Australian athletes and wish them luck and congratulate them or give them criticism, I guess, if they haven't swam that well or performed all that well. But. And then I guess as well, knowing that my family were there and a lot of people are newborn in the crowd watching me, I guess that adds that little bit of extra pressure. And I was still pretty young at that stage too. Like I was only the start of my swimming career really, so. But I do remember being in the marshalling room and being pretty nervous and then kind of poking my head out of the marshalling room just to see the stadium and see all the people in the crowd, just to draw on that energy. And yeah, I think I always and still do get very nervous for a 200 freestyle because it's not my event that I prioritize or train for and it's something I don't do all that often anymore. But I always have got anxious doing the 200 freestyle because it always hurts so much more than, than doing the hundred like you get. There's so much more lactate involved in it and there's so much. It goes for just over double the amount of time. Obviously, the hundred does. It's like a minute 45 of being your own head. There's a bit more strategy to it, so you've got to stick to your race plan a little bit more. But.
But, yeah, I'm very lucky again, that I had mates in the mastering room that I was able to talk to and probably help distract myself from the moment a little bit, like some of my very best mates. James Guy, who was in that race, I'm actually going to be in his bridal party in his wedding in August, so. And he's a British swimmer, so he shows how close we are as swimmers from all over the world. So I was lucky to have, yes, some pretty good mates in the room to talk to and probably relax a bit.
[00:12:33] Speaker A: Well, whilst 200 meters doesn't sound like a very long distance, you did make it sound like an eternity there. Another thing you also pointed out was, you know, the energy that you can be given by a home crowd. I think sometimes they say that that's enough to give you the winning edge, but at the same time, as you say, that can also put on quite an extra amount of pressure. So I think the overriding feeling was that despite the energy, there was still an element of nerves. So is there a moment in all of that that you remember quite vividly as, like, something that stands out just before the event?
[00:13:06] Speaker B: Only on reflection, I've got a video saved on my phone of, like, James Guy again being next to me. And I remember. I remember in the moment looking at him and his name got announced and he was sitting down on his chair and he went to take his jumper off and it got caught on his head because he had his headphones on. And I remember kind of having a. Of a laugh about that, which I think was, again, very beneficial for me to be able to distract myself a little bit.
But, yeah, I think I'm a person that just tries to embrace the moment and enjoy that moment that I've worked so hard for. And having my name announced at a home Commonwealth Games and listening to that cheer was so special, like kind of goosebumps sort of moment. And I enjoy. I definitely enjoy the focus and the attention being on me, like, everyone being able to be there to support me and watch me do what I do best. So I loved that. And like I said, it was my first individual race of the competition, so there's that extra bit of nerves as well. You're not really sure how you're swimming at that point or how things are going to go. But, yeah, it's. It's a race I reflect very fondly on.
[00:14:08] Speaker A: You mentioned a few times that, you know, the 200 meters isn't your discipline or the one that you put the most focus on in your career. So before you got in the pool, did you feel that you were up for that, you know, gold medal? Did you think you were fighting for the victory there, or were you just adding up to the numbers?
[00:14:26] Speaker B: No, I think that I. I always enter a race, I have to believe that I can win to enter a race. Like, there's no point in me racing if I don't believe I can win. I think that's half the battle is actually believing those goals or dreams into existence. So I truly believed that I could win. But I think also I was pretty young and naive at that stage too. Like I was early in my career. I think I just. I was 19, just about to turn 20, so I didn't really know what it actually meant to probably be in the Commonwealth final, racing against the best athletes in the Commonwealth and some amazingly, you know, prestigious athletes that have achieved so much as well. But, yeah, in my mind, I'm always full of confidence and back myself into a race.
[00:15:10] Speaker A: Absolutely. And that's the way. That's the winning mentality, isn't it? And also, sometimes being naive isn't a bad thing. You know, ignorance sometimes is bliss a little bit in those situations. So take us into the water now. I did a little bit of swimming when I was younger, but barely quite as competitive as you. So, you know, I want to know what it's like when you're in the water and you're competing, as you say, against some of the best, if not the best in the world, and you're approaching that wall. What is going through your mind? Because I'm guessing at that point, before you touch the wall, do you have any idea of how far in the lead you might be? Or sometimes it's just millimeters, isn't it? So what are you thinking when you're approaching the wall?
[00:15:49] Speaker B: I guess it's all about strategy. Like, you train for that moment for so long, so the, you know, the weeks or the months or the years leading up to that moment, you're working on how you want your dive to go, how you want to be feeling at the 25, the 50, how you want your turns to go. Obviously, in the 200, you got three turns to worry about. So it's kind of. You're very in the moment, trying to execute every little.
Yeah. Moment that's coming on in the race. Like, obviously, yeah, it goes for a minute 47, but there's so many things that I'm thinking about, you know, like holding water when I'm breathing, how many strokes I'm doing per lap. And then, yeah, you kind of have a bit of an idea of where people are also, and you're trying to stick to your strategy that, you know, that works. So for me, in that final at the Commonwealth Games, I knew that I had Chad Luclo and James Guy either side of me, and I know that they go out. They went out pretty hard in the first hundred and they were going to be out quite a long way in front of me, whereas my strength was the second 100 of that race. So my strategy was to move to the. To one side of the lane and because I knew that they were going to be a bit further out in front of me, I can kind of get a free ride because they're breaking that still water and you almost surf the wave that they're creating, so they kind of drag you out, which is nice. So the first hundred ride to. Yeah. Move across to Chad's side.
I turned and I was, yeah, about a body length behind going into that second hundred. And then my second hundred was almost as fast as my first hundred, so. Which is pretty uncommon in a 200.
But I knew that that was my strength and that if I was going to win the race, that's what I had to stick to. So for me, it was all about, I guess, staying calm, sticking to the strategy that I've been working on for so long and trusting that that was going to work. And, yeah, it came down to such a small margin in the end. Mac Orton from Australia got second in that race also. So it was very special to stand on the podium, have the Australian national anthem playing, and have another Australian standing on the silver podium next to me.
[00:17:44] Speaker A: Absolutely. Look, I mean, wow, first of all, who would have thought that so much goes into it? I mean, it's just not your average Sunday swim, is it? It's. There's obviously quite a lot that goes into it besides just the preparation. I mean, all the strategy that you're talking about there. So you put in a great first hundred meters. You put in an almost equally, as you say, second 100 meters.
You're now approaching the wall. You come in, you tap the wall and you claim the victory. What were the emotions in that moment? If you can take us back to that.
[00:18:15] Speaker B: I guess for me, like, yeah, you touch the wall, but you never really know if you've touched the wall first because obviously I'm underwater. So the first, the first thing is to look at the board and see where you finished at what time you swam. So once that kind of sinks in, obviously it's a huge amount of pride. Like it's, it's what you work so hard for. And a feeling that I work so hard for day in, day out is to have that exact feeling. So yeah, it's probably very hard to put into words like it's undescribable unless you've really lived that moment. To know what that feeling is like is to win a race on an international stage and be named the best swimmer in the world sort of thing for that event. So, yeah, that's very special. And then I guess the next thing is looking to the crowd to try and share that moment with your family and loved ones and there supporting and watching you and who have been there on that journey the whole entire way. So that was probably the second thing and then third thing and the most rewarding thing is when you stand on the podium with the national anthem and receive your medal. And again, a feeling that I, that motivates me every single day to have again and again because it's something that's very irregular and something that's super rare in the world. Like it's rare to go to a Commonwealth Games, it's been rare to make a final, but it's even rarer to then come away with a, with a gold medal. So very proud that I've been able to do that quite a few times in my career, especially at Commonwealth Games. I think I've managed to win nine medals at Commonwealth Games now and seven of them have been gold medals. So yeah, I've been very fortunate, very lucky. But yeah, I'm super motivated to continue to do that. And Commonwealth Games is coming around again. Soon It'll be in 2026 and back in Glasgow in Scotland. So that's my big focus now, is defending the titles that I currently own in the Commonwealth Games events.
[00:20:05] Speaker A: And it sounds like you're not going to have any trouble doing it now. You use the word luck and fortune, but I think hard work is what goes into to get those results. So I wouldn't quite describe it as luck, but just for, you know, some non athletes out there who are listening to this and, you know, even I haven't been able to do this and I'm sure. That a lot of other people who might also be athletes haven't been able to do this. So describe to us what the feeling is when you're standing on the top of a podium representing your country at the elite of your sport and on top of that in front of a home crowd.
[00:20:36] Speaker B: I think just pride, like being able to hear your national anthem be played, the flag get raised like your Australian flag get raised, hear the crowds singing along to the national anthem and knowing that you're number one with your gold medal around your neck, you're just so proud and I guess a little bit emotional too because I guess it's a time where you reflect on all the hard work and sacrifice you've made to that point. And yeah, it's a very, very overwhelming experience. And I think it's something again like the 200 freestyle at that Commonwealth Games was my first individual event. I then had four more events and I had one more event that night. So then it's almost quickly forgotten in the moment because you have to go back to the warm down pool, cool down, then you have to get back in a warm up and then do it all again on that same night, like prepare yourself for the next race. So it's not until the weeks or months or even sometimes years after that you actually are able to reflect fully on what you've just achieved and actually I guess give yourself the time to enjoy it and be proud of it and realize what you've, yeah, just achieved.
[00:21:44] Speaker A: Amazing. Now you have clearly won several medals, you've broken many world records. It doesn't sound like you're about to stop doing that either. You very much far from being done. But amongst all of these achievements, would you say that there are any vivid career defining memories, maybe moments that have shaped who you are today?
[00:22:06] Speaker B: I think injuries and setbacks is probably like you as an athlete or humans in general, like you have to overcome so many challenges to reach the top. And as my years or careers progressed, I've had to overcome injuries to get back to the top, part of back, back on top in the world. So for me I think that's definitely defined my career quite a massive amount really like being able to overcome those challenges, rise above them and find ways to swim personal best times again or you know, recreate myself as a swimmer. Like obviously I've had both of my shoulders operated on. So now I'm no longer able to do maybe what I was able to do eight years ago in terms of gym exercises or the amount of volume I'm able to do in the pool. So you kind of have to be adaptable and change to any extent as well.
So I think that, yeah, being. Being flexible and being able to overcome the challenges or bridges and hurdles that kind of get thrown your way is, yeah, something I'm super proud of.
[00:23:05] Speaker A: Okay, so you call them challenges now. You have overcome several challenges. I've got a list here.
You've overcome a lot of challenges in your career, some of them including supraventricular tachycardia. No idea what that is. You'll explain to us in a second.
That was in the early part of your career, degenerative discs in your sp. Spine. Shoulder surgery, which I should correct to two shoulder surgeries, which has obviously limited your preparation before major competitions. As you said, you've also talked openly about your mental health. So I'd love to know. I mean, that's a lot for anyone to go through, let alone an athlete who requires their body to be on top form at all times. Where does your resilience come from and what keeps you getting back in the water and smashing records?
[00:23:49] Speaker B: I guess again, goal setting and like, wanting to be the very best. Like, it's. Yeah, it sucks having these challenges come your way in surgeries and mental health and other injury niggles that I've had to deal with that maybe haven't required surgeries, but I think it gives you purpose to overcome them and try and find ways to, you know, like, people start to can you out. Especially when I had my first shoulder surgery, it's like, oh, no one's really come back from shoulder surgery and been the best they, you know, ever been. Whereas it's like, well, I'm going to prove that you can come back from a shoulder surgery and still some personal best time sort of thing. So it's kind of like, in a way, proving people wrong and proving myself wrong at times as well. Like, there's definitely been times where I've doubted whether it's possible to come back or whether I'd be the same as what I have been previously. But yeah, I've definitely had time. Like, obviously, yeah, I've had three heart surgeries, which was the supraventricular tachycardia. So you did very well to pronounce that. And they were very early on in my swimming career.
And then, yeah, both my shoulders operated on. I had my ankle operated on at the end of last year as well, which now I've got a wire and some screws in my ankle holding my ankle together. So, yeah, I'VE had some. And then again before the trials this year, I had four facet joint epidurals in my back just to be able to move and try and compete and try and qualify for the team. So it's always, yeah, there's always something to overcome. But I know that every other athlete's dealing with things and having to overcome and rise above them as well. And I guess it shows your character if you're able to do it and not take the easy option and just retire or quit. Like, try and find a way. And I think it's been installed in me from growing up in the country and having working class parents and my dad, who is an athlete as well, and a good team around me that are able to help me believe that it's possible to get back on track.
[00:25:36] Speaker A: And what a wonderful lesson as well. I mean, to be in a very complicated situation. I mean, three heart surgeries. Did you say three of them? That. I mean, that is a lot. And to come back from that and be the best at what you do, that requires your body as well. I mean, that's a lesson to be learned. Use those challenges to fuel your fire, and you can always come back and overcome those moments. Now, every athlete has, shall we call it an origin story, kind of like a key moment that made them or who they are, gave them a name in the sport. What's your story?
[00:26:10] Speaker B: For me, I guess having success at the biggest competition in the world at such a young age, like, I just turned 18 years old, went across as a very unknown person, wasn't really projected to have any success, and then, yeah, managed to progress through to the final, which was my biggest goal at that stage. And then I remember in the race, turning seventh and then getting my hand on the wolf first, and that was kind of the first time that anyone had swum 100 freestyle in that way. So I think that my legacy is that I've kind of changed the way that people swim a race. Like, it's not about going out as fast as you can and then who can hold on the longest. It's now how you can maintain that consistent speed across 47 seconds of swimming. So people are starting to swim 100 freestyle a lot more or the same way that I'm, you know, I started swimming it back in 2016, so a long time ago now.
So, yeah, that was kind of my breakthrough moment. And I went on to have a lot of success on the back of that. But before that, I was definitely a very unknown young country boy from South Australia.
[00:27:12] Speaker A: Well, if there's one way to get your name on the board, it's to go to the biggest competition in the world, represent your country. I mean, that's the competition that all athletes, I think, dream to be able to make it to, to represent their team and their country. So first of all, congratulations for having done it, especially at such a young age. Now, in your opinion, what would you say it takes to be an elite athlete?
[00:27:34] Speaker B: Just hard work and sacrifice really. Like there's no elite athletes that really cheat their way there. It's working as hard as you possibly can day in, day out, listening to your coaches, doing more than what your competitors are doing around the world. Like that's something I've always tried to pride myself on is I truly believe that I train the hardest harder than anyone else in my events or the people that I'm trying to train or race against.
So it's hard work and then making those sacrifices, like it's very easy to go out on the weekends with your mates or make bad choices in your diet or do the things that aren't going to, I guess, propel you to the top will make you successful in your given sport, but in for me for swimming. So it's, yeah, sacrifices and hard work, that's all that, all it really is.
[00:28:20] Speaker A: There you have it. That's the recipe. Now you talked about being a goal setter. What would you say your next goal is? What's the next carrot that you're dangling in front of yourself? What do you next want to achieve?
[00:28:31] Speaker B: I guess for me I'm being very lucky that I've achieved every major title my sport has to offer now. So that's something I'm super proud of and it's what they call a career grand slam. So I've achieved it all now. But for me it's just about how many medals I can possibly win or having success in relays is very important to me. Like there's a lot of young guys coming through in, in my event and we're pretty strong in the relays. We've always been around, you know, getting bronze medals or silver medals. But it would be amazing to start to win gold medals in relays and have success in that way. So yeah, for me it's I guess winning as medal, many medals as I possibly can and just having, I guess setting up my legacy really and being remembered as a, as a great swimmer and one of Australia's best.
[00:29:15] Speaker A: Amazing. Well, we will continue to watch on fondly and wait to see what medal you're Going to win next. We talked a little bit about lessons. One of them was, you know that sometimes the biggest challenges that you experience can be the fuel to your fire. Setting little goals keeps you going forwards. So there were a couple of lessons along the way in this podcast. But I'd love to know if there was one lesson that you never expected to learn in your career. What was it?
[00:29:42] Speaker B: I mean, there's so many. Like, I think I never, as a young kid, you never expect to have to deal with like injury or media problems, like having to deal with journalists and answering questions. And there's, yeah, a lot of challenges that I've definitely had to learn, but I think injuries always going to be the number one because I think as a kid you're pretty bulletproof. You don't get too many injuries, you watch your favorite athletes on the TV and you don't necessarily think about injury all that much until it actually comes your way. And I wish that as a younger kid, I actually took the time to look after my body better in terms of like rehab. And I remember like physios telling me to do my, the band exercises or cord exercises before I got in the pool to strengthen up all the little muscles in my shoulder to try and prevent having injuries. And I never really took that as seriously as I probably should have and then ended up having. Having injuries. So, yeah, that's probably the lesson I've, I've learned the most is as a young kid, definitely taking all those things that seem boring as, as a kid seriously and looking after your body because the body is the most important thing. That's what swims the race for you and helps you have success. So treat it well and look after it.
[00:30:52] Speaker A: What advice would you have for future.
[00:30:54] Speaker B: Swimmers is just listen to your coach. Like your coach has so much knowledge and they definitely want the best for you. So I feel like listening to your coach is such an important thing. And then doing the hard work, like, I think especially in the pool, it's very easy to maybe sit behind your fellow trading partners at the back of the lane and swim slow and take the easy options. But if you want to have success and be the best in, you know, your club, the state, the world, you've.
[00:31:19] Speaker A: Got to work hard, work hard and use your therabands before you get in the pool. Right? Okay, cool.
And then I want to know, I mean, you talked about obviously the challenges you had when it was, whenever it came to your, your mental health or your physical health and also just the pressure, I guess, in general of competing at this high level, how would you say you disconnect and how important would you say that is for other swimmers or young up and coming talents?
[00:31:48] Speaker B: I think it's hugely important to have distractions or purpose away from the pool. And it's something that I've learned as I've got older is how much more important that is. So for me, I labor on a building site two days a week, which kind of gives me an identity away from the pool or I'm mixing with different people and doing, doing something very different to what I would be if I was in training. So, yeah, having, having distraction. And I go out for dinner with mates quite regularly or hang out with them on the weekend. I love going fishing, so I spend a fair bit of time out on the boat fishing and. But yeah, having distractions from whether it's work or sport is very important.
[00:32:23] Speaker A: Okay, wait, what? You can't just drop that bombshell on me there. So you are a professional swimmer with multiple medals, top of your game, and you also have a side hustle on building sites. Can you just, can we go back when did, how and when did that happen?
[00:32:36] Speaker B: It only happened the start of last year actually, because I kind of have always struggled with the question of what I'm going to do after swimming. Um, that's a question I get, get asked very regularly and I never really knew how to answer it and I tried studying a few times. So I started studying psychology and that didn't really work for me. And then I started sport and Recreation Management and I never liked studying at school and I've never been able to sit still. So it was never the best idea to try and do a uni degree.
So for me, last year I decided to go out on the work side and give, yeah, building a go and something that I love. So I just go there two afternoons a week, learn a fair bit of skills and that's something that I'll look to transition into once swimming's done.
[00:33:17] Speaker A: Okay, amazing. Love that. That's, that's great. It's cool to know that you can, you know, be competing at the top, at the top and then just be doing something normal on the side. I love that. Now I have a question that I ask all of our guests at the end of the podcast.
It's, it's, it's an interesting one. It's not the easiest of all questions, but it's one that I have to ask and I'm very much looking forward to hearing what your answer is. So the question, Carl, is What does the Edge mean to you?
[00:33:45] Speaker B: What does the edge mean to me? I would say, like, having the edge over my competitors in terms of, like, success that I've had. So I've got the runs on the board. That kind of intimidates my competitors to an extent. Like, I'm able to go into the mastering room and people know who I am and what I've achieved, and that kind of stresses them out. But I think also, like I said, I truly believe I train harder than anyone else in the world. So that gives me the edge over my competitors because I feel like I'm the fittest and I feel like I'm the best person in the race. And that's always been my mentality. And it's something that's been extremely important for me, is actually believing I'm able to achieve the goals that I've got in place. So, yeah, they're my edges.
[00:34:26] Speaker A: Fantastic. I love that answer. And I hope that everybody else at home loves Carl's version of what the Edge is. Carl, thank you so much for joining us today. It's been wonderful listening to your story. I think it's incredibly inspirational. I think there's a lot for people to listen to out of there, out of everything you've said, and so many lessons to be learned. So thank you so much for sharing with us and sharing your time as well.
[00:34:48] Speaker B: Thank you so much. Appreciate you having me on.
[00:34:59] Speaker A: Thank you for listening to this episode of the Edge. If you'd like to listen to more episodes, episodes like this one, then check out our interviews with Summer McIntosh, Fred Curley and Sydney McLaughlin. If you enjoyed this episode, then please don't forget to subscribe and leave us a review. It really does make a difference. Before we go, I'd like to say another big thank you to Kyle for joining us on this episode. And as always, I am your host, Naomi Schiff. And I'll be back next time with another episode of the Edge, a podcast by Tag Hoyer. See you soon.
