While James Gibson is currently known for his leadership of the Energy Standard professional swim team, he’s also a former World Champion (2003 – 50BR) and Olympic Finalist (2004 – 100BR). His training squad is not only one of the very few elite teams of professional swimmers in the world, they do something no other pro team does: they practice and compete together as one team. Sounds simple, but this model does not exist in swimming, and what Energy Standard created was the precursor for starting a professional swim league that we now know as the ISL (International Swimming League).

This conversation was recorded the day James learned his team’s travel plans for 2021 might be in peril due to new travel restrictions related to the pandemic – adding another obstacle to the list he and his team have had to navigate in an unprecedented year.

This was a good opportunity to share some laughs and get the inside perspective on how the ISL brass plans to continue improving the league, while also picking the brain of a guy who coaches a diverse collection of the fastest swimmers on the planet. We had a blast chatting with James, and hope you enjoy!