The desire to succeed can outweigh other advantages or challenges -- and Canadian Olympic gold medalist Penny Oleksiak shares this philosophy and others with Kelly and Maria in this exclusive interview. The elite swimmer also talks about her recent pairing with the Phelps brand of swimming apparel and gear. 

Canadian Olympic gold medalist Penny Oleksiak earned her spot on the Canadian Olympic team as a 15 year old who had only been swimming for 5 years. At the Rio Olympics in 2016, she earned gold in the 100 free and a sliver in the 100 butterfly. She also anchored the 4x100m freestyle relay to bronze and added another bronze in the 4x200m freestyle relay to become the first Canadian to win 4 medals in a single Olympic games. 

Penny Oleksiak came to swimming as a 9 year old and made incredible progress quickly. She began swimming for Toronto Swim Club, under coach Bill O’Toole. Raised in an athletic family, Oleksiak’s brother plays professional hockey for the Dallas Stars, and her sister  was a competitive rower at Northeastern University.  Penny  is sponsored by the Phelps brand. 

Episode Topics and Mentions

Bill O’Toole

Toronto Swim Club

Phelps brand

Michael Phelps

Simone Manuel

Sarah Sjostrom

Mental health

Swimming accessibility

The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle

Ontario High Performance Center

COVID-19

Pandemic

Manifestation

Anxiety

The Weight of Gold documentary

Interior design

Minimalism

Feng shui

Takeaways

Maria 

1. Self-awareness is so valuable to success and happiness.
2. Humility brings others closer to your story.

Kelly

1. Authenticity makes others feel comfortable and empowered in their own skin.
2. The desire to win is powerful and the mental capacity can help you succeed.

Quote of the Week

"The pressure doesn't bother me anymore. It's all about changing my mindset and only seeking to control what I can." -- Penny Oleksiak

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

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