SwimStrong Dryland Podcast

Join us on this week’s SSDL Podcast featuring Cal Poly swimmers, Alex Seybold & Cole Groom, as they share their firsthand experience of the unexpected decision to cut their program. Alex and Cole share their story of how they received the news, what the reasoning from the Athletic Director was, and how the swimming community can rally behind their program at this time. Support the Cal Poly Swi...

This week, Sean Workman, Director of Leadership Training at SSDL, joins Eric for a discussion on the true nature of swimming as a team sport. Supported by extensive research, the notion that team culture significantly impacts individual performance has been validated. Sean and Eric delve into the importance of team culture, its effects on the team, and much more, sharing their own poolside experie...

3x Masters National Record Holder, Mike LaMonica, joins this week’s podcast! Mike recently competed at the Rowdy Gaines Masters Classic where he broke the 100 SCM butterfly record for the 65-69 age group! Mike shares about his background in the sport, and how he made a comeback 30 years after originally retiring! Eric and Mike discuss how training is approached differently at the Masters stage, ye...

SSDL’s Director of Nutrition Programming & Research, Brittany Miller, joins the SSDL Podcast this week! Eric and Brittany discuss common nutrition “Myths or Truths?” we see among swim athletes. This is a FANTASTIC podcast to listen to if you’re looking to level up with your nutrition. If you have any questions about what Brittany & Eric discuss on Episode 72, don’t hesitate to reach out to...

One of the first SSDL Athletes, Kevin Gillooly, joins the SSDL Podcast this week for Episode 71! Kevin is currently retired from the sport of swimming, but most recently competed at the 2024 Olympic Trials! Kevin competed for Rowan University during his career, was a multiple time All-American, as well as a National Champion! Eric and Kevin dive into his decision to commit to Rowan, his mindset th...

This week on the SSDL Podcast, we’re joined by Kyle Ponsler, an NC State swimmer, who shares his incredible journey—from his early days in the sport to becoming a leader in and out of the pool! Eric and Kyle dive into his decision to join the Wolfpack, what life as a college athlete looks like, and the mindset that fuels his success. Whether you're a swimmer or just love a great story, this ep...

Coach Mike Koleber @coachmikenitro from Nitro Swimming @nitroswimmingjoins the SSDL Podcast this week! Coach Mike has an inspiring story rooted in his love for the sport of swimming, and helping athletes become better swimmers and people through that medium. Along with being the owner and founder of Nitro Swimming which just opened their brand new location in Kyle, TX, Coach Mike also helps adults...

On Episode 68 of the SSDL Podcast, we’re joined by Aaron Baltaytis, a swimmer at Northwestern University with a powerful story of perseverance. Last year, Aaron was diagnosed with testicular cancer, leading to a 9-hour surgery and 4 rounds of chemotherapy. Now cancer-free, Aaron reflects on the experience, the mindset that kept him going, his journey back to life as a student-athlete, and newfound...

This week the Director of Rehab for the New England Patriots, Michael Akinbola, sits down with Eric for Episode 67 of the SSDL Podcast! This episode is PACKED full of great insight into the training and mindset it takes to stay at the highest level of athleticism. Eric and Michael explore the connections to NFL football and elite swim training, the importance of specificity in organizational succe...

This week NC State Coaches Stefani Wendelschaefer and Dan Kalupski join the SSDL Podcast! In this episode, Dna & Stefani take a deep dive into the Wolfpack’s team culture, mindset, and much more! This is a fantastic episode to check out if you are interested in what happens behind the scenes at NC State, or if you are interested in swimming there one day! NC State will be rounding out there se...

This week Crash Ackerly, swimmer for NOVA & Yale University commit, joins the SSDL Podcast! Crash is currently attending school and training in Taiwan and shares about his adventures over seas! Eric and Crash also dive into his beginnings in the sport, how he chose Yale in the recruiting process, and his mindset behind his success in the sport. This episode is packed with awesome advice for cu...

Tune into this week's SSDL Podcast as we speak with Lori Payne from American College Connection (ACC Recruits). Lori and her team offer essential resources and insights for student-athletes looking to navigate the collegiate swimming recruitment process. With their guidance, you can approach recruitment with clarity and confidence, reducing the stress and uncertainty often associated with this jou...

This week, Alexia Sotomayor joins the SSDL podcast for episode 63! Alexia currently trains at St. Andrews in Florida, but also represents Peru on the international stage! Eric and Alexia discuss her beginnings in the sport, moving to the US to train, and much more about her journey in the sport so far!

@jrryswims joins the SSDL Podcast this week for episode 62! Jerry Chen swam for University of Pittsburgh, and represented them at many high level meets such as Olympic Trials. Jerry currently still trains to pursue his goals while finishing his graduate degrees at Pitt! Eric & Jerry discuss his beginnings in the sport of swimming, inspiration for creating his social media platform, finding suc...

This week Olympic and World Championship medalist Flynn Southam joins the SSDL Podcast! This episode is packed with insight into the mindset of an Olympic swimmer, with Flynn sharing about his approach to training, improvement, and balancing swimming and life. You will not want to miss this week’s episode!

Head Coach of the Aquatic Team of Mecklenburg (ATOM), Shaynah Jerrell, returns to the SSDL Podcast for Episode 60! Eric and Shaynah discuss some of ATOM's new leadership and culture-building initiatives this season, as well as many other topics, such as how ATOM has grown to USA Bronze Medal Club status.

This week NC State swimmer Bella Answeeney joins the SSDL Podcast! Tune in to hear more of her beginnings in the sport of swimming, overcoming adversity, and much more about her career! Eric and Bella also dive into some of the initiatives Bella is a part of to give back to the local NC State community, as well as advice for younger swimmers! You won’t want to miss this week!

This week, Peyton Selts from Eagle Aquatics in Miami, FL joins the SSDL Podcast! Peyton, the 2023 SSDL Elite Camp MVP, trained with Eric over the last few years in Miami, and dives into his experience at Eagle & in the sport of swimming! This is a great podcast to watch if you’re wanting to be inspired to dream big! Check out this week’s episode on YouTube, Apple, Spotify, and many other podca...

This week, founder of Elite Athlete Fitness Bands, Kevin Satler joins the SSDL Podcast! Coach Kevin provides high-quality bands for swimmers across the country! His unique approach to resistance bands provides a wide variety resistances so all athletes can progress effectively and safely in their dryland workouts. Check out this week’s episode to hear about Kevin’s inspiration to start Elite Athle...

Alex Martin, former team captain for the Michigan Wolverines joins the SwimStrong Dryland Podcast! Before SwimStrong Dryland was founded, Eric helped train Alex on his route to Olympic trials and collegiate swimming in a gym where Alex became known as “the Beast”. This episode is packed with stories from their time training together, great advice for current and former swimmers, and unique perspec...

This week, SSDL Legend and 2-time Monkey Bucket Award Winner (s/o Elite Camp) Porter LeVasseur joins the podcast with Eric!!! Tune in to hear more about Eric & Porter's relationship going back to 2012, their mindset and approach to coaching, and many more stories about how the two have ended up where they are today! You won’t want to miss this week’s podcast!

This week, long-time friend, and Head Coach of the Edwardsville High School boys and girls swim teams Christian Rhoten joins the SSDL Podcast! The Edwardsville Tigers have won 10 consecutive sectional titles on the women’s side, and 6 consecutive titles on the men’s side. Christian and Eric’s friendship goes back to 2012 when they coached together for the Edwardsville YMCA Breakers. In this episod...

For the first episode of the new season, Brett Hawke returns to the SSDL Podcast to talk about his new role at The Swim Team in California! Brett and Eric discuss how the team will be structured, the mindset behind the training athletes can expect to see, TST Pro Team, and much more! Tune in to hear more about what Brett will be doing with The Swim Team!

This week, SwimStrong Dryland team members Greg Tymon & Chuck Andrews sit down with Eric to discuss the brand new SSDL Parent Program! Coming this fall, the Parent Program will be open to any and all swim parents who are looking to develop healthier, more active lifestyles. Chuck, Greg, and Eric walk through what the Parent Program will look like, and how to get involved! Reach out to us on ou...

After representing Team USA in Paris, Olympian Luke Whitlock and Coach Joe Keller join the SSDL Podcast this week! Tune in to hear more about the preparation Coach Joe & Luke put in place to secure his spot on the United State Olympic Roster as a high schooler. Joe & Luke also share their thoughts on Trials, the Olympic Experience, the mindset behind the training, and so much more! You wil...