Dive into the inspiring coaching legacy of Cyndi Gallagher, celebrated Former U.S. National Team Coach and longtime head coach of UCLA Swimming & Diving. In this episode, Cyndi shares a remarkable journey built on decades of leadership, athlete development, and a passion for high-performance sport. From her earliest days coaching age-group swimmers to guiding Olympians and World Championship competitors, Cyndi’s story offers a powerful look into what it means to elevate athletes both in and out of the pool. Listeners will hear Cyndi discuss her coaching philosophy, foundational lessons from her competitive days, and the transformational role of mentorship in sport. She reflects on building a winning culture at UCLA, fostering generational leadership, and championing student-athletes through NCAA pressures, international competition, and personal growth. Cyndi also offers insight into the evolution of American swimming, the future of coaching, and how to create balanced environments where athletes thrive. Perfect for current and aspiring coaches, competitive swimmers, sports enthusiasts, and anyone fascinated by the mindset of elite performance, this episode blends wisdom, storytelling, and life lessons from one of the sport’s most influential leaders.

Kaitlin's first guest on this new swimming podcast is Cyndi Gallagher who has been head coach for UCLA Women's Swimming and Diving team for 31 years of the 38 years consisting of head coach, assistant coach and student-athlete. A graduate of UCLA, Cyndi had an impressive career in the water before becoming one of the few coaches in the nation who coached at their alma mater. She set several school records, earned All-American honors and recognized as the university's "Most Valuable Athlete”; not to mention a USA National team member as well. She competed at the Olympic Trials in 1976 and 1980 and was a bronze medalist in the 800-meter Freestyle at the 1979 World University Games in Mexico City. As a coach at UCLA, Cyndi produced 11 Olympians, 21 Pac-10/12 Champions, and 91 All-Americans. Gallagher was one of only three female head coaches of Division I top-25 schools nationwide. Cyndi is currently the head coach for DC Trident, 1 of 10 teams in the International Swim League, the first professional swim league.

Host: Kaitlin Sandeno

Keywords:
Cyndi Gallagher, U.S. National Team Coach, USA Swimming, UCLA Swimming, NCAA coaching, Olympic swimming, high-performance coaching, elite athlete development, swim coach interview, swimming podcast, athlete mentorship, competitive swimming career, Team USA coach, coaching philosophy, athlete leadership, sports culture, performance mindset, biographical sports podcast.

Women Unscripted (formerly WiSP Sports) founded in 2012, has more than 1700 episodes from around the world of women’s sport and the arts. We have covered every sport and all the issues around women in sport. We have interviewed hundreds of athletes and several of them have hosted our shows over the years. Subscribe and download Women Unscripted for free access to our extensive archive library.