🔷 This is the Worst Advice I Ever Got as a Swim Coach...
...and what you can take from it for your own motivations...
Hey Swimmers
In my early coaching days—likely around the age of 27—I received a piece of advice from a peer that was said to be key to becoming a better coach:
“Stop competing. Coaching and competing are in conflict. You need to choose one or the other!”
At the time, I didn’t challenge the idea too much. It seemed to make sense—how could I possibly give my all to my athletes if I was still chasing my own swimming and triathlon goals? But deep down, something didn’t sit right. I loved swimming, I loved racing, and I didn’t see why I had to stop just because I was a coach.
Fast forward 16 years from my first Rottnest Channel Solo Swim crossing in 2009, and last weekend, I found myself completing the 25km Port to Pub solo swim in 6 hours and 28 minutes (a pace of 1:31/100m)—good enough for 1st place in the Vintage category by nearly an hour, 5th overall, all in less-than-ideal conditions. This is by far and away my best performance from over a dozen solo and duo Rottnest Channel crossings since 2003 and something I’m hugely proud of after a month off with pneumonia at Christmas.
A Slap of Reality
At first, my goal was personal—I simply wanted to see what I could achieve at 46 years of age. But as the months of training passed, my motivation shifted after I got a true slap of reality.
Here I was feeling sorry for myself having gotten sick at a key time in my training preparation, when I learned that three of my close friends are currently battling lung cancer, two of whom are younger than me. That realisation hit hard. The ability to train and race is something I’d always taken for granted, but suddenly, it felt like a privilege. Instead of seeing the race as a test of my endurance, I saw it as a way to express gratitude for my health and the opportunity to push myself.
That’s why we named our little boat Seas the Day!—a fitting tribute to embracing every chance we have to do what we love.
After the swim, I was humbled by the messages from my squad, many of whom found inspiration in my performance. Not because I won my category, but because I was willing to put myself in the same conditions they train for, to push through the same barriers, and to race alongside the “young guns,” no matter the outcome.
Marcus, who’s been swimming with me for over a decade now, revealed to me out of the blue on Tuesday:
”The reason I joined the Squad in the first place was because I’d learned about your triathlon pursuits and then the English Channel and Manhattan - I wanted a coach who really knew what they were talking about…from experience, not a book or training course!”
And that’s exactly why the idea that coaches should stop competing is so flawed. Athletes don’t just need technical advice, they need role models. They need to see that their coach isn’t just shouting instructions from the pool deck but is also out there, feeling the same pain, making the same sacrifices, and embracing the same joys.
This philosophy extends beyond me—it’s at the very heart of Swim Smooth, and always has been. Every one of our Swim Smooth Coaches is actively involved in the sport, whether it’s competing in open water events, triathlons, or mastering their own training. They don’t just coach; they live and breathe swimming. And because of that, they bring a level of authenticity and passion that simply can’t be faked. That's why, in our coach certification courses, we kick off each day with a simple open water swim and even incorporate races—like those at the Best Festival of Open Water Swimming in Mallorca, Spain coming up at the end of May.
So, if you’re looking for a coach who truly understands what it takes to improve—both physically and mentally—our Swim Smooth Certified Coaches are ready to help. Whether you’re training for your first open water event, fine-tuning your stroke, or preparing for a big challenge, our team is here to guide, support, and inspire you.
After all, the best coaches don’t just talk the talk—they swim the swim!
Join Our Coaches in 2025
We’ve got a whole heap of special coaching events happening around the globe in 2025 where you can interact with our coaches directly and we’d love for you to be part of one or more of them! See the information below for dates/locations and click one of the blue buttons below to either find your local Swim Smooth Coach’s regular Squad and 1-to-1 Video Analysis & Stroke Correction sessions, or to treat yourself to something a little more special:
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