Swimming can be meditative and yet, it can also be quite a lonely sport. As my guest says, when we are underwater, we are in a state of sensory deprivation. We cannot hear much, smell much, feel much, taste much, or see much. Instead, we are left to our thoughts, emotions, and sometimes, our pain. It is a sport in which we are up close and deeply personal with our psyches.  And, whether we swim or not, we can all learn a lot about life from this episode’s guest.

On this episode, we look at long distance swimming and what it can teach us. And there is hardly anyone more suited to describing the sport than PH Mullen. PH estimates that in his life he has swum over 75,000 miles—that is three times the circumference of the planet! He swam the legendary English Channel and did so in a very fast time. He also swam the world's longest swimming race at about 89 kilometers.

PH is also a best-selling author. He wrote Gold in the Water, which was praised by the New York Times and named one of the Best Sports Books of 2001 by the London Times. The book explores the experiences of two male breaststroke swimmers who trained side-by-side and who ultimately competed against each other in the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics. The book describes virtually every aspect of the sport as well as how much physical and mental preparation it all takes.  Again, even if you’re not a swimmer, the life lessons apply to us all.

If that wasn't enough, PH has also survived lung cancer and he had a significant portion of his right lung removed. He had only a 19% chance of survival and, 16 years after his diagnosis, he is thankfully doing very well. These days PH does Ironman triathlons at 7,400 feet to prove to himself that he’s still got it.

So, join PH and me as we learn how he thinks and the life hacks that have made a difference in going the distance. Book Link: https://amzn.to/3NuqwAK This is an affiliate link. It will provide me with a small commission on purchases made through it and help the podcast (but it won’t affect the price you pay).