Champions Mojo for Masters Swimmers

How can you feel grounded when your normal life and routine has been uprooted? In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kelly and Maria give advice for staying motivated, hopeful and grounded in an uncertain time in life. Listen in and share your own pandemic micro-goals with Kelly and Maria at [email protected].

Episode Topics and Mentions

Coronavirus

COVID-19

Tony Robbins

Certainty

Uncertainty

Swimming

Habit

Routine

Insomnia

Anxiety

Mortality

Overeating

Underexercising

Overexercising

Binge watching

Sensationalism

Walking

Yoga

Micro-goal

Pushup challenge

Health coaching

Life coaching

Master’s degree in counseling

Master’s degree in exercise science

Mental health

Fear

How to Ground Yourself

• Stop consuming media. Media is selling us bad news. 
• Create a new normal. Decide what your routine will be right now. 
• Find time for reflection -- prayer, meditation, yoga, journaling.
• Take time for self-care. 
• Set a micro-goal.

Ideas for Setting Micro Goals

• There will be an after, what seems exciting to try right now?
• What would your future self want you to do right now?
• What do you have to let go of to achieve that micro goal? 

Quote of the Week

"We need a break from the non-stop negative news. Give yourself a 24-hour news fast and put your focus on things you love, connect to nature and friends, and you will feel a million times better." -- Kelly Palace

Subscribe to the Champion's Mojo podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google Play. 

Have something you want to share with us? Email it to [email protected]

Keep up with the show by visiting ChampionsMojo.com and visiting the Facebook page, Instagram page, and Twitter page. 

Email us at [email protected]. Opinions discussed are not medical advice, please seek a medical professional for your own health concerns.

You can learn more about the Host and Founder of Champions Mojo at www.KellyPalace.com

Auburn University’s men's and women's swimming head coach, Gary Taylor, is finishing his second year and looking to return this program to the top of the NCAA. Auburn has a storied history of winning 13 NCAA titles. With 10 successful years as an assistant at two powerhouse division one teams where he played a major role in their successes, Gary could have had his pick of head coaching jobs but he was inspired to step up to lead Auburn. In this in-depth interview Gary, talks about championship character and how it leads to success.

*This episode was recorded before the Covid 19 Pandemic changes

ABOUT GARY TAYLOR

Gary Taylor is the head men’s and women’s swimming coach at Auburn University. Gary is only in his second year at Auburn and looking to return this program to the top of the NCAA. 

Prior to Auburn, Gary put in 10 very successful years as the associate head coach and assistant coach positions at two powerhouse Division I teams -- six years at NC State and four years at Florida State. He also coached at the club level and has a total of 19 years of coaching experience.

Episode Topics and Mentions

Auburn University

NC State University

Florida State University

Champion character

Eddie Reese

John Asmuth

David Marsh

Richard Quick

Brett Hawke

Southeastern Conference

Recovery for swimmers/athletes

ISL, International Swim League

L.A. Current

U.S. Derby

Rowdy Gaines

Charles Barkley

Frank Thomas

Bo Jackson

Cam Newton

Aly Tetzloff

Takeaways and Action Items

Maria

Takeaway 1: Having champion character BEFORE you reach the biggest opportunities leads to success when your big chance arrives. Gary Taylor lives in the uncomfortable.

Takeaway 2: Recovery is important. Go hard, endure -- and then rest.

Kelly 

Takeaway 1: Gary loves to test himself against the best and push his personal and career boundaries daily.

Takeaway 2: Can confidence be created? Gary believes that confidence is learnable with practice and is very important in life. 

Quote of the Week

“I play a role in helping build confidence and teaching that the impossible is possible." -- Gary Taylor

Subscribe to the Champion's Mojo podcast on  Apple Podcasts,  Spotify and  Google Play. 

Have something you want to share with us? Email it to [email protected]

Keep up with the show by visiting ChampionsMojo.com and visiting the Facebook page, Instagram page, and Twitter page. 

Email us at [email protected]. Opinions discussed are not medical advice, please seek a medical professional for your own health concerns.

You can learn more about the Host and Founder of Champions Mojo at www.KellyPalace.com

Applicable to major cancellation disappointments, tune in for tips on how to stay in a positive mental place amid the disappointments and cancellations connected to coronavirus, COVID-19. Kelly Palace and Maria Parker share their advice for not feeling overwhelmed or helpless as the world takes on coronavirus and its spread.

Episode Topics and Mentions

Coronavirus

COVID-19

Master’s degree in counseling

Women’s NCAA swimming championships

USA Swimming

Anger

Sadness

Disappointment

Resiliency

Mononucleosis

University of Virginia

North Carolina State

Masters Swimming

Mental Training/Mindset

Visualization

Ending the Season on your terms

Mental health

Fear

Anxiety

Ethan Zohn

Mental health tips for coronavirus fears

• Unplug from the news and social media; we are drawn to negativity but fight back.
• Reach out by phone to the people who love you and share your fears.
• Keep exercising and keep moving - get out there and do something, even if your normal routine is upset.
• Stay mindful and be aware of what you are focusing on; don’t focus on the negativity or what you’ve lost, but focus instead on the positive or something neutral. Use gratitude.
• If you meditate or pray, this is the time to do it. If not, why not try it in your free time? Remember you can control your mind.
• Seek out online counseling if you need a professional counselor. 

Quote of the Week

"One’s best success often comes after their greatest disappointments.” Henry Ward Beecher

Subscribe to the Champion's Mojo podcast on  Apple Podcasts,  Spotify and  Google Play. 

Have something you want to share with us? Email it to [email protected]

Keep up with the show by visiting ChampionsMojo.com and visiting the Facebook page, Instagram page, and Twitter page. 

Email us at [email protected]. Opinions discussed are not medical advice, please seek a medical professional for your own health concerns.

You can learn more about the Host and Founder of Champions Mojo at www.KellyPalace.com

Swimmer, coach, business startup genius -- as the co-founder of the app MySwimPro, Fares Ksebati shows how grit and determination, even with limited resources, can produce success. Ksebati was recently selected by Forbes Magazine in the prestigious “30 under 30” for entrepreneurs to watch in 2020. 

If you've ever even thought about starting a business or just want some savvy advice from one of today's young leaders on how to be successful in almost anything, you'll love this concise and valuable interview with Ksebati.

ABOUT FARES KSEBATI

Fares Ksebati is a national champion Masters swimmer and certified Masters coach and the co-founder of MySwimPro -- the number one fitness application for swimming with more than 1 million app downloads. Ksebati was recently selected by Forbes Magazine to the prestigious “30 under 30” list in the consumer technology category. 

Episode Topics and Mentions

MySwimPro

Forbes Magazine

 “30 under 30” list

Virtual coaching

Apple Watch

World Swim Day

Learning to swim 

Consistency

Starting a business

Bill Gates

The “why”

BHAG - Big, hairy, audacious goals

Market feedback

Sweat equity

Airbnb

Grit

Resourcefulness

Mentorship

Katie Ledecky

STEM learning

Technology - democratizing knowledge

Panasonic

Michael Phelps

Self-awareness

Competitiveness

US Masters Swimming

 “What Swimmers Can Be Thankful For” article

Takeaways and Action Items

Maria

Takeaway 1: It’s always important to find your “why” in life to keep following the right path.

Takeaway 2: Less resources may be better sometimes and forces people to be creative and find grit.

Kelly 

Takeaway 1: BHAGS - Big, hairy, audacious goals get you out of bed in the morning and keeps you passionate. 

Takeaway 2: The five people rule - the people you surround yourself with influence you the most - can lift you up or bring you down.

Quote of the Week

"Resourcefulness and Hustle are real and not unique to anyone's success, you've just got to stick with it and fight the grind" - -Fares Ksebati

Subscribe to the Champion's Mojo podcast on  Apple Podcasts,  Spotify and  Google Play. 

Have something you want to share with us? Email it to [email protected]

Email us at [email protected]. Opinions discussed are not medical advice, please seek a medical professional for your own health concerns.

You can learn more about the Host and Founder of Champions Mojo at www.KellyPalace.com

Three-time Olympic Swimmer, a USA Team Captain, broadcast journalist and author of the new book, Silver Lining, Elizabeth Beisel gives an authentic interview on what she's been up to lately -- and she gives some great advice to those looking to make the 2020 Olympic Team. She also shares her champion's take on competitiveness, mindset and traits she thinks champions share. 

ABOUT ELIZABETH BEISEL

Elizabeth Beisel is a three-time Olympic swimmer and medalist, multiple NCAA champion for the University of Florida, US Olympic and World Championships team captain, and now retired from swimming.

She is a sports commentator, appeared on CBS’s Survivor television show and just last month launched her new book, Silver Lining. Elizabeth is known for her infectious smile and enthusiasm.   

Episode Topics and Mentions

Leah Smith

Mount Everest

University of Florida

Silver Lining by Elizabeth Beisel

Natalie Coughlin

Ryan Lochte

Resilience

Violin

Piano

2008 Olympic Trials

Nelson Diebel

Positive mindset

Madisyn Cox

Ella Eastin

Women empowerment

Takeaways and Action Items

Maria

Takeaway 1: Elizabeth is changing her life and not just identifying with swimming - there is always an “after” in life.

Takeaway 2: Reach out and ask for what you want; ask for opportunities. 

Kelly 

Takeaway 1: When a person is going through a hard time, he or she just has to hang in there and be resilient. 

Takeaway 2: Comparison is the root of all evil. When you waste time comparing, you are stealing your own joy and confidence.

Quote of the Week

“Say yes and you’ll figure it out afterwards.” -- Tina Fey

Subscribe to the Champion's Mojo podcast on  Apple Podcasts,  Spotify and  Google Play. 

Have something you want to share with us? Email it to [email protected]

Keep up with the show by visiting ChampionsMojo.com and visiting the Facebook page, Instagram page, and Twitter page. 

Email us at [email protected]. Opinions discussed are not medical advice, please seek a medical professional for your own health concerns.

You can learn more about the Host and Founder of Champions Mojo at www.KellyPalace.com

If you struggle with anxiety, you'll want to listen to this show. Ethan Zohn won CBS’ Survivor, Season 3 and is back, almost 20 years later, playing on Season 40 which premiered Feb. 12, 2020. Listen in to hear how anxiety almost stopped him and how he handles it. 

ABOUT ETHAN ZOHN

A champion athlete and former professional soccer player, who first appeared on CBS’ Survivor in 2002, Ethan Zohn has twice overcome cancer. In 2002, he started a global charity called Grassroot Soccer to raise money and awareness to fight HIV/AIDS. He also appeared on the All-Stars edition of Survivor and is back on the show for a third time. show. 

Episode Topics and Mentions

Hodgkin's lymphoma

Anxiety

Breast cancer

Health anxiety

CBD oil

 Ethan Zohn article about CBD oil

Survivor on CBS

Soccer

Grassroot Soccer

Africa

Zimbabwe

AIDS

HIV

Charitable giving

Nonprofit work

Fear of failure 

Advertising industry

New York City

Preparation

Fiji

Boston Rob

Amber Mariano

Jennifer Lyon

Survivor Stand Up For Cancer

Montkush CBD

Takeaways and Action Items

Maria

Takeaway 1: Ethan Zohn is so authentic, being vulnerable in sharing his cancer and anxiety journeys.

Takeaway 2: Ethan Zohn approaches everything with preparation - what can you do to prepare to feel confident?

Kelly 

Takeaway 1: Ethan Zohn thinks of others and how to help them, whether he is in a good or bad place mentally. When you’re suffering, turn your suffering outward to help others.

Takeaway 2: Ethan Zohn said that he visualizes the future that he wants and that helps him form future moments and make them happen.

Quote of the Week

"I think in this day and age just the simple concept of being kind to another person, means so much. Let's try and make kindness normal." -- Ethan Zohn

Subscribe to the Champion's Mojo podcast on  Apple Podcasts,  Spotify and  Google Play. 

Have something you want to share with us? Email it to [email protected]

Keep up with the show by visiting ChampionsMojo.com and visiting the Facebook page, Instagram page, and Twitter page. 

Email us at [email protected]. Opinions discussed are not medical advice, please seek a medical professional for your own health concerns.

You can learn more about the Host and Founder of Champions Mojo at www.KellyPalace.com

Do you have the guts to take an endurance race out hard and hold on? Leah Smith does. You'll love listening to Leah's tough mindset and her thoughts on racing and life.  An Olympic gold medalist, World Champion and multiple-time NCAA champion, Leah is known by her teammates as a joy to be around. You'll be inspired by this fun and genuine interview. 

ABOUT LEAH SMITH

Leah Smith is an Olympic gold medalist as part of the USA’s winning 800 freestyle relay team at the 2016 Olympics and the second-fastest US swimmer in the 500 freestyle. She has also won an individual Olympic bronze medal in the 400 freestyle event. Leah swam collegiately at the University of Virginia where she dominated the distance freestyle events and went on to win multiple conference and NCAA titles in the 1650 and 500 freestyle event. She is a professional swimmer for the LA Current and she is sponsored by TYR. 

Episode Topics and Mentions

University of VIrginia

Google Calendar

Alexa

Smith Performance Center

Strength training

Hiking

University of Arizona

L.A. Current Professional Swim Team, ISL

Augie Busch

Stephanie Peacock

Costco

Elizabeth Biesel

Steve Prefontaine

Without Limits (movie)

“Going all out” mindset

John Mayer

Takeaways and Action Items

Maria

Leah uses reflection to put stock in herself. She took two months off to reflect in 2017. People kept asking her “What are you going to do?” and she took her time and decided for herself. 

Leah is willing to embrace new adventures in life.

Action Item: Be willing to go all out and just put it all out there.

Kelly 

Leah pushes through excruciating pain and just hangs on -- she’s willing to put herself on the line.

Confidence and good inner self talk is huge for Leah.

Action Item: Be more adventurous.

Quote of the Week

"When your body and your brain are screaming at you, you can tap into that other voice that says, I've put in the training and I can do this." -- Leah Smith

Subscribe to the Champion's Mojo podcast on  Apple Podcasts,  Spotify and  Google Play. 

Have something you want to share with us? Email it to [email protected]

Keep up with the show by visiting ChampionsMojo.com and visiting the Facebook page, Instagram page, and Twitter page. 

Email us at [email protected]. Opinions discussed are not medical advice, please seek a medical professional for your own health concerns.

You can learn more about the Host and Founder of Champions Mojo at www.KellyPalace.com

Can positive emotions like love improve your performance? This episode features best-selling author Caroline Miller in a discussion of positive emotions -- like love -- and their effects on performance. It seems that when we connect to powerful positive emotions we can perform better so tune in to learn about tools to use to boost positive emotions and performance.

ABOUT CAROLINE MILLER

Caroline Adams Miller, who is one of the world’s leading experts on the science behind successful goal setting and the use of "good grit" to achieve hard things. For more than 30 years, she’s been sharing her research-backed, actionable strategies to help people cultivate more grit and dig deeper to clarify and achieve their toughest goals. She is an expert on positive psychology and an athletic champion herself.

Episode Topics and Mentions

Getting Grit by Caroline Miller

 Creating Your Best Life by Caroline Miller

www.via.org

www.viacharacter.org

American University

Penn State

Applied Positive Psychology

Ice Age

Fight or flight instinct

3 blessings exercise

Pride

Awe

Joy

Gratitude

Curiosity

2008 Olympics

John Gottman Research Love Lab at the University of Washington 

Mark Gavin

Tom Shields

Kelly Campbell

Cal State in San Bernardino

Bob Bowman

Emotional flourishing

Brian Tracy

Zig Ziglar 

Sean Aiken

Gretchen Rubin 

NC State Women’s Swimming

Marc Bernadino

Lilly King

Ginny King

Sherron Watkins

Enron

Bulimia

Takeaways

Caroline: Feeling rejuvenated, she’s ready to get her next book done.

Kelly: Continue encouraging others to take the VIA test and use what they learn. 

Maria: Take the online VIA test, and encourage the people she loves to do it too, and then use the technique of telling the story where the top techniques are used. 

Quote of the Week

“Every Coach should know their athlete's strengths, not just as athletes, but as humans and know their stories, because if you don't know their stories, you don't really know them." -- Caroline Miller

Subscribe to the Champion's Mojo podcast on  Apple Podcasts,  Spotify and  Google Play. 

Have something you want to share with us? Email it to [email protected]

Keep up with the show by visiting ChampionsMojo.com and visiting the Facebook page, Instagram page, and Twitter page.

Email us at [email protected]. Opinions discussed are not medical advice, please seek a medical professional for your own health concerns.

You can learn more about the Host and Founder of Champions Mojo at www.KellyPalace.com

Learn why Nathan Adrian calls swimming his "Passion Project" and what he's planning for his next big challenge. This interview marks the one year mark since Adrian returned to the pool after surgery and treatment for testicular cancer. He shares what he's learned, how he's used marginal improvement to help guide his success and how he sees things very differently now. We guarantee you'll be inspired!

ABOUT NATHAN ADRIAN: Earning five Olympic gold medals and 27 gold medals in international competition, Nathan  is referred to by many as the swimming sprinting G.O.A.T.  His heart stopping Olympic victory in the 100 meter free in 2012, by 1/100th of a second, is still one of the most memorable races in Olympic history. Then in 2016 Nathan was on the podium again twice individually for the 50 and 100 meter free races. 

Adrian is a professional swimmer, swimming for the L.A. Current and his main sponsor is Speedo. Collegiately Nathan was a multiple time NCAA champion at Cal Berkeley and impressively was recently their Winter Commencement speaker in 2018. He has recently battled back to the top of the health podium after getting a testicular cancer diagnosis after early detection. 

Subscribe to the Champion's Mojo podcast on  YouTube. Leave us a review, too! If you subscribe on YouTube you could win one of our monthly prizes. Champion's Mojo is also on  Apple Podcasts,  Spotify and  Google Play. How are we doing? Email us [email protected]

Episode Topics and Mentions

Michael Phelps

Katie Ledecky

Natalie Coughlin

Jason Lezak

Dara Torres

Gary Hall Jr.

L.A. Current

ISL, International Swim League

Tokyo Olympics

2020 Olympics

USA Swimming Foundation

Testicular cancer

Early cancer detection

Alter-ego

British cycling team

Marginal improvements

Block Doku

Atomic Habits by James Clear

Kelly and Maria’s Takeaways 

KELLY: Takeaways - Use incremental improvements, pick small actions to pursue to add up to bigger successes.

Execution is the most important thing; take out the emotion and just execute.

MARIA: Takeaways - When shooting for an important goal, plan for future happiness and goals after the goal is met. 

How can you be the “shoulders” for other people?

Quote of the Week

"I definitely believe in those marginal improvements and maintaining a high level of integrity in everything that you do instead of trying to make one drastic jump from one to the next " -- Nathan Adrian

Have something you want to share with us? Email it to [email protected] 

Keep up with the show by visiting YouTube, ChampionsMojo.com and visiting the Facebook page, Instagram page, and Twitter page. 

Email us at [email protected]. Opinions discussed are not medical advice, please seek a medical professional for your own health concerns.

You can learn more about the Host and Founder of Champions Mojo at www.KellyPalace.com

Are you ready to step out of your usual persona and step up your performance? Learn about an interesting new tool for creating greater success in your life, whether it is in athletics, work or other areas: the use of alter egos and avatars for success. The use of these tools allows you to put on a persona that is secondary to your natural personality to achieve more. Expert guest on this topic Zach Harting joins the show to share his recipe for alter ego and avatar success.

ABOUT ZACH HARTING: Zach Harting is a member of USA Swimming’s National Team, a 2018 Pan Pacs medalist, a multiple time NCAA All-American, and a school record holder at the University of Louisville. He is an expert on using an alter ego to help his performance, best exemplified in wearing a full Batman/Dark Knight costume poolside at the 2016 Olympic Swimming Trials.

Subscribe to the Champion's Mojo podcast on  YouTube. Leave us a review, too! If you subscribe on YouTube you could win one of our monthly prizes. Champion's Mojo is also on  Apple Podcasts,  Spotify and  Google Play. How are we doing? Email us [email protected]

Episode Topics and Mentions

Batman, Dark Knight

Leprechaun

2016 Olympic Swimming Trials

Michael Phelps

Beyonce, Sasha Fierce

Morehead Scholarship

University of North Carolina

University of Louisville

Mermaid

Bike Sebring 12/24 Hours

Locomotive

The Little Engine That Could

Bo Jackson

Tiger Woods

Dewayne Johnson, The Rock 

Gary Hall Jr. 

Arthur Albiero

Kelsi Dahlia

The Flash on Netflix

Honey Badger

Killer Frost

Takeaways and Action Items

KELLY: Takeaways - Alter egos and avatars welcome in authenticity and play. It’s important to connect to your alter ego to feel authentic.

Action item - Channel Killer Frost to embrace cold water for swimming.

MARIA: Takeaways - It can be valuable to channel what you are not - something that appeals to you and therefore is authentic. An alter ego can raise up your teammates.

Action item - Channel the honey badger, be a little tougher and not care what people think.

Quote of the Week

"Sometimes we have to do things we don't want to do. Being able to take the emotion out of it is really important and knowing when to do that, because sometimes feelings are necessary for a great performance". -- Zach Harting

Have something you want to share with us? Email it to [email protected] 

Keep up with the show by visiting YouTube, ChampionsMojo.com and visiting the Facebook page, Instagram page, and Twitter page. 

Email us at [email protected]. Opinions discussed are not medical advice, please seek a medical professional for your own health concerns.

You can learn more about the Host and Founder of Champions Mojo at www.KellyPalace.com