Social Kick • Swim Culture & Stories

Episode 312 of The Social Kick Podcast features rising swimming sensation Rowan Cox! Fresh off an incredible performance at US Nationals where he dropped two seconds in the 100 fly to clock a blistering 50.6—finishing third behind Caleb Dressel and Ilya Kharun and breaking Thomas Heilman's National Age Group (NAG) record—Rowan joins Dr. John Mullen and Bryan Lundquist.

From adjusting to Bob Bowman’s intense training groups at UT (including surviving the infamous lifeguard-warning underwater sets), discovering Chad le Clos randomly at Barton Springs, sharing hilarious summer league memories with Beyblades and ice cream dibs, to balancing a deep addiction to Minecraft with an elite professional mindset, Rowan breaks down what it takes to make the massive leap to the next level.

Episode 311 of The Social Kick Podcast features swimming icon and legend Chad le Clos. Fresh off an incredible performance at the Commonwealth Games—where he made history by becoming the most decorated athlete in the games' history—Chad joins the full crew to talk about his storied career, current mindset, and what keeps him driven in the sport.

From overcoming physical adversity and injury, finding a renewed love for racing, and preparing for the short course season all the way to LA 2028, Chad opens up about the highs and lows of elite swimming, working with coach Delon Danhauser, studying Michael Phelps, and what it truly takes to sprint butterfly at the highest level.

Episode 310 of The Social Kick Podcast features friend of the show, content creator, and elite swim coach João Mescolote. Fresh off an incredible 6,500-mile road trip visiting top college swimming and club programs across the country, João sits down with the full crew to share what he learned about the modern landscape of swimming.

From the shifting dynamics of NCAA coaching and the evolution of swim physiology to growing up as a sprinter in Brazil, his time at LSU, post-swimming bodybuilding, and finding a lifelong passion for coaching, this episode is packed with insights for competitive swimmers, coaches, and swim fans alike!

Elite swimming analyst and commentator Kurt Mills Hanson joins the Social Kick podcast for episode 309 to drop unfiltered opinions on everything from the golden era of Australian broadcasting and the politics of World Aquatics to radical ideas for saving the sport.

Join hosts Bryan Lundquist and Dr. John Mullen as Kurt shares behind-the-scenes stories of crafting hard-copy media guides before the internet, navigating massive industry backlash for his involvement with the Enhanced Games, and debating the future of professional swimming.

Dive into high-level discussions on why swimming needs a tennis-style major circuit, eliminating country quotas, trimming endless medal ceremonies, and transitioning college programs to short-course meters.

Elite swimmer Anna Moesch returns to the Social Kick podcast for episode 308 to break down her massive athletic leap over the past year, including winning an NCAA title in the 200 free and clocking a blistering 51-second 100 free.

Join hosts Bryan Lundquist and John Mullen as they dive into Anna's behind-the-scenes training journey. Discover how she handles brutal altitude training blocks at the Olympic Training Center, incorporates high-aerobic volume to conquer late-race pain, and utilizes specific stroke and power rack drills to unlock elite front-end speed.

Get a front-row seat to the daily culture of excellence at Virginia and learn what it takes to train alongside the best sprinters in the world.

How does a former 800 freestyler from Fiji become an 18-second 50 freestyler in one of the fastest sprint environments in the NCAA? In this episode of the Social Kick Podcast, Arizona State University's Tolu Young shares his incredible journey from the "no rush, no worries" island culture of Fiji to the highly competitive, smack-talking pool deck at ASU. T

olu breaks down his unexpected transition from a self-proclaimed terrible distance swimmer into a pure 50 freestyler after moving to Washington State during the 2020 lockdowns. We dive deep into the cutting edge of sprint training as Tolu explains his role in ASU's highly specialized "Ultra Sprint" group.

He discusses his experiences utilizing USRPT, experimenting with the Cameron McEvoy method, and the brutal realities of Central Nervous System (CNS) fatigue when training at absolute maximum velocity. Tolu also gives us a behind-the-scenes look at the ASU training culture, his goals representing Fiji at the upcoming Commonwealth Games, and why he completely avoids swimming 100s in practice. I

f you are a swim nerd interested in the evolution of low-volume, high-power sprint training, you won't want to miss this!

How does a multi-sport athlete who trained in the pool just 2 to 4 times a week become one of the fastest freestylers in the NCAA? In this episode of the Social Kick Podcast, we sit down with Indiana University sensation Liberty Clark to unpack her wildly unique path to swimming stardom.

Growing up in Chico, California, Liberty balanced club volleyball, judo, and soccer with a low-yardage summer league swimming approach. She breaks down the massive culture shock of moving to IU, where she went from swimming 3,000-yard maximum practices to surviving 5,000-meter long course conditioning sets (and yes, there were tears). Liberty also opens up about growing up as the daughter of Olympic medalist and World Record holder Haley Cope Clark, what it’s really like racing alongside IU teammate Anna Peplowski in practice, and her elite mindset hack of visualizing a 1:37 200 Free just to make a 1:42 feel "easy."

Plus, we dive into the age-old debate: Why doesn't Short Course Yards swimming get the same World Record respect as NCAA Track and Field? Whether you're a multi-sport athlete, a sprinter trying to survive aerobic sets, or just a fan of elite NCAA swimming, this episode is packed with honest insights and laughs.

Australia’s distance freestyle king has returned! Fresh off a historic performance at the 2026 Australian Trials—where he became the first man since Grant Hackett to sweep the 200m, 400m, 800m, and 1500m Freestyles—Samuel Short joins the Social Kick Podcast to break down exactly how he did it.

In this episode, Sam takes us behind the scenes of his elite training block. From brutal high-altitude camps in Flagstaff to managing his sleep and body composition with Oura Rings and dietitians, Sam leaves no stone unturned. He details exactly what he eats in a day to survive massive double sessions, why he’s taking fueling cues from pro cyclists, and what it’s actually like to train with a biomechanist yelling at you during a lactate set. We also break down Sam's race strategy.

Sam breaks down his insane 7:36 in the 800m Free, the unbelievable world record pacing of his international competitors, and why he loves racing guys who try to take the race out fast. Plus, we get into some classic swimmer debates: is it better to double-breathe off the wall or put your head down? And what is the most vulnerable World Record right now?

In this episode of Social Kick, we are joined by the "Father of NIL," Grant House! As the lead plaintiff in the landmark House v. NCAA case, Grant completely changed the landscape of college sports. But he’s not stopping there. Grant is now focused on educating athletes, speaking at universities across the country, and developing his own performance consulting business. We discuss the evolving world of NIL, exploring what brands are actually looking for from Olympic athletes and how swimmers can better monetize their careers.

Grant shares his experience attending Athlete Con in Las Vegas and the surprising truth about how many brands and athletes still don't fully understand the NIL landscape.

But it's not all business—we also tackle some hot topics! Grant gives his unfiltered take on the highly controversial Enhanced Games, discussing why athletes deserve fair compensation and why the swimming community needs to stop shutting down new opportunities. We also debate the ethics of sports betting, propose a new "World Record Lottery" system to pay swimmers millions, and discuss the optimal temperature for a sauna recovery session.

Is Josh Matheny the happiest guy in professional swimming? We caught up with the rising USA breaststroke star after meeting him at the Beyond the Blocks Clinic in Ohio, and he did not disappoint!

In this episode of the Social Kick, Josh discusses his unique breaststroke technique—specifically answering the question everyone asks: Why does he open his mouth so wide when he breathes? Josh also opens up about his training philosophy at Indiana University, how he manages the brutal 200m Breaststroke, and the mental battles of breaking through times when you're stuck on a plateau. We also get into some hilarious stories, including his absolute nightmare Halloween set (400 IM, 500 Free, and Butterfly?), getting chewed out for almost missing a final at the Sacramento Pro Swim Series, and the rigid unwritten rules of "Social Kicking" at IU.
Plus, we put him in the hot seat during our Rapid Fire segment! Whether you're a breaststroker trying to figure out your race strategy or just a fan of elite swimming, Josh is one of the most grounded and insightful athletes in the sport.