In this episode you’ll get to know Chad Le Clos the swimming champion more intimately, as well as gain some remarkable insights into Chad the person. He is South Africa’s most decorated Olympian, a Commonwealth swimming champion, an Olympic champion, a world champion, four times world record holder and was twice nominated World Swimmer of the Year.

Chad is deeply driven, incredibly strong minded and remarkably insightful. In this episode, he drops something of a never-before-told bombshell which reveals his courage to be vulnerable!

One of the pinnacles of Chad‘s career happened at the 2012 London Olympics, where he faced up to the greatest swimmer of all time, Michael Phelps, in the 200m butterfly final. Phelps had not been beaten for over 10 years in that event, and no swimmer had ever beaten Phelps when he turned ahead for the final 50m. Chad explains how he planned to beat his hero Phelps in this final, and to do so coming from behind. Which he did - to claim gold.

As with previous episodes, this is yet another remarkable insight into the mind and the life of a champion, and also into a very real human being whose heart is just as soft, warm and vulnerable as yours and mine. What Chad reveals in this interview left me quite emotional and humbled – which may well happen to you. I didn’t see it coming, and nor did Chad, but shit got real in this conversation.

Credentials and context 00.- 2.44

Lockdown experience 2.45

Surgery  08.00

Competing in your 30s  11.20

Growing up 13.30

Something missing 18.45

Training stats  21.00

The hunger 22.50

Dad's influence  25.20

Parent pressure 35.10

2012 Phelps  40.05

Mental game  45.05

Post Olympic blues  48.50

Distractions 56.15

Tokyo Olympics 1.00.10

Mental health 1.02.10

Advice to athletes  1.14.00

Closing thoughts  1.24.17

The big question. 1.27.18