“Swimming Saved My Life!” 3x Gold Medalist Rowdy Gaines | Rich Roll Podcast
Rich Roll
Aug 12, 2024
Mindsip insights from this episode:
Overcome paralysis to qualify for Olympic trials
After being temporarily paralyzed by the autoimmune disease Guillain-Barré syndrome in 1991, he not only relearned all his motor skills but also qualified for the 1996 Olympic trials.
Reduce drowning risk with formal swim lessons for children
Drowning is the number one cause of accidental death for children ages one to four in the U.S., a risk that can be reduced by nearly 90% with formal swim lessons.
Swim six days a week to maintain fitness at 65
At 65, his fitness routine consists of swimming six days a week, which he does in his personal Endless Pool when at home.
Utilize cold plunging for optimal recovery in 90 seconds
After trying it at the Olympics, he is interested in cold plunging and learned the minimum effective dose is about 90 seconds at a temperature around 41-50°F.
Reinstate Michael Phelps to inspire future swimmers
The greatest Olympian of all time, Michael Phelps, should be brought back into a key strategic advisory role for USA Swimming to inspire the next generation.
Leverage prize money and underwater kicks to enhance swimming speed
The two biggest reasons for faster swimming times are not just sports science, but the introduction of prize money into the sport and the development of the underwater dolphin kick.
Train for explosive speed in modern sprint swimming
Modern sprint swimming training has finally adopted principles from track and field, focusing on explosive speed work rather than the high-volume endurance training of the past.
Transform your life through late swimming start
Rowdy Gaines didn't start swimming until age 17, and he credits the sport with saving his life by pulling him away from a self-destructive path.
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