Ready for an extraordinary tale of athletic longevity? At 73 years old Rick Colella's swimming journey spans from Olympic medals to over 50 Masters World records, proving that athletic excellence knows no age limits.

Colella's remarkable career began with a fourth-place finish at the 1972 Munich Olympics, followed by a bronze medal in Montreal in 1976. But what happened after his Olympic glory makes his story truly exceptional. While most elite swimmers hang up their goggles after reaching competitive peaks, Colella never fully left the water. This consistent connection with swimming—even during his decades-long Boeing career—has become his secret weapon for sustained excellence into his 70s.

Now competing in the 70-74 age group with Puget Sound Masters, Colella has rewritten the record books with over 120 national records and more than 50 world records. His training approach combines old-school discipline with modern technique refinements. Despite his Olympic pedigree, Colella humbly embraced coaching feedback that completely transformed his stroke mechanics later in life. "Your breaststroke timing is terrible," his coach bluntly told him—feedback that helped him adapt to modern techniques and continue breaking records.

What drives someone to maintain such dedication for decades? Colella's answer is refreshingly simple: "I just love swimming. I guess I'm not even sure I recognize how much I like it, except that I must, because I never stopped doing it." This passion extends beyond personal achievement. After their son's diagnosis with FSHD muscular dystrophy, Rick and his wife Terry founded a research nonprofit, Friends of FSHD, that now raises nearly $1 million annually—connections he credits largely to his swimming network. The organization is all-volunteer. We have no paid staff and our sponsors cover 100% of our operating and fundraising expenses. This means that 100% of donations to Friends goes directly to fund research. Rick Colella has emerged as a legendary figure in American swimming through his extraordinary Olympic career and record-breaking achievements in Masters swimming at age 70+.

• Bronze medalist in the 1976 Montreal Olympics after finishing fourth in Munich in 1972
• Set more than 120 Masters national records and over 50 world records
• Trains six days a week with Puget Sound Masters at age 70+
• Never fully stopped swimming after his Olympic career, maintaining consistency throughout his life
• Found working with a coach after years of self-directed training revealed technique flaws that needed correction
• Discovered that mental preparation and attitude significantly impact performance, even decades after Olympic competition
• Co-founded Friends of FSHD Research with his wife after their son's muscular dystrophy diagnosis
• Organization has grown from raising $180,000 in first year to nearly $1 million annually
• Emphasizes consistency as the key to swimming success at any age
• Enjoys the intergenerational aspects of Masters swimming and the supportive community

Whether you're seeking inspiration for your own athletic journey or curious about the mindset of champions, Colella's story demonstrates how passion, consistency, and community create a foundation for lifelong achievement. What might you accomplish if you never stopped doing what you love?

Email us at HELLO@ChampionsMojo.com. Opinions discussed are not medical advice, please seek a medical professional for your own health concerns.

When life throws its hardest challenges—divorce, injuries, the loss of a beloved parent, and the relentless pace of a demanding career—what keeps a champion going? For Sara Henninger Dunn, it’s the unshakable mindset she’s honed since her days as a collegiate All-American swimmer and her enduring relationship with the water. In this inspiring episode of Champion’s Mojo, Sara shares how a fierce mental toughness, built from years of competitive swimming, helped her navigate life’s toughest lanes with grace and resilience.

Sara opens up about rediscovering swimming after a 20-year break, how the pool became her sanctuary during the grieving process, and why staying active is her ultimate form of self-care amidst a hectic work life. She also shares the rituals, routines, and mindset hacks—like wearing handmade bracelets with personal mantras—that keep her grounded and focused. Whether you’re an athlete, a professional juggling life’s demands, or someone seeking inspiration to overcome personal hurdles, Sara’s journey reminds us that it’s not just about winning races—it’s about winning at life.

Tune in for a heartfelt conversation packed with wisdom on grit, reinvention, and the healing power of community and movement.

Sara Dunn, state, national, and world record breaker in US Master Swimming, shares her incredible journey of returning to competitive swimming after a 20-year break following an injury in 2015. Her story demonstrates how passion for swimming can transcend time and how the right mindset can lead to continued success at any age.

• Returned to swimming after a serious ankle injury prevented land-based cardio exercise
• Earned All-American honors (top time nationally) consistently since returning to competition
• Uses personal mantras like "make good choices" and "we don't do that anymore" as mental tools
• Sets goal times as her phone lock screen for constant motivation and focus
• Defines success as being better than she was the day before, not comparing to college-age times
• Values the SwimMac Masters community as family who support her in and out of the pool
• Recently became chair of North Carolina Master Swimming
• Maintains a consistent schedule: swimming Sunday/Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday, lifting Monday/Wednesday
• Would advise her college-age self to "never stop swimming"

Find Sara through US Masters Swimming or connect with your local masters swimming program to experience the joys of lifelong swimming in a supportive community.

Email us at HELLO@ChampionsMojo.com. Opinions discussed are not medical advice, please seek a medical professional for your own health concerns.

On May 26, 2025, Lewis Pugh completed one of his most daring feats yet — a 60-mile swim around Martha’s Vineyard in icy, shark-filled waters. Undertaken to coincide with the 50th anniversary of movie Jaws, Lewis’s swim was a powerful statement to change the narrative about sharks and raise urgent awareness for ocean conservation. While this swim captured headlines, the deeper story lies in Lewis’s relentless mission to protect our planet’s most fragile ecosystems.

In this powerful re-release of one of our most inspiring conversations to date, Lewis reveals what truly drives him to swim in the world’s most extreme conditions — from the North Pole to Antarctica — and how he uses courage, purpose, and diplomacy to create real change. If you want to understand how one person can push past fear, endure the impossible, and help save the oceans, this is the interview you need to hear.

Lewis Pugh, the UN Patron of the Oceans and only person to complete long-distance swims in every ocean on Earth, shares his extraordinary journey of swimming in Earth's most extreme waters to raise awareness for ocean protection and climate change. Through his pioneering "speedo diplomacy," Lewis has helped create marine protected areas covering approximately two million square kilometers while developing powerful mindsets for facing seemingly impossible challenges.

• Swimming in sub-zero waters where "every part of you says get out immediately"
• Using extreme cold water swims to demonstrate the reality of climate change
• Following the Japanese martial arts concept of "shuhari" to master swimming and advocacy
• Creating marine protected areas like "national parks for the oceans"
• Applying "speedo diplomacy" to influence government policies on ocean conservation
• Building self-belief by "stacking" different sources of confidence before difficult challenges
• Finding your purpose by "drilling deep" until you discover what you were truly meant to do
• Using "fuss bait" (holding tight) when facing life's most difficult challenges
• Taking responsibility as swimmers to be stewards for ocean protection

Lewis believes we have a duty to protect this magnificent place for our children and grandchildren, and if people do that, then we have a future.

Whether you're a competitive swimmer, an environmental advocate, or simply someone searching for purpose, Lewis Pugh's journey offers profound inspiration. Listen now to discover how courage can be trained like a muscle, how persistence can change the world, and how finding your purpose can transform the seemingly impossible into reality.

Email us at HELLO@ChampionsMojo.com. Opinions discussed are not medical advice, please seek a medical professional for your own health concerns.

Pro Swimmer, Author, Screenwriter, Becca Mann's journey redefines what it means to be a swimming prodigy who grows beyond the confines of early success. At just 10 years old, she completed the 15K Maui channel, becoming the youngest to do so. By her teens, she was a seven-time US National Team member and two-time national champion. But after narrowly missing Olympic qualification three times, Becca made the courageous decision to step away from competitive swimming altogether.

What happened during those five years away from racing forms the emotional core of our conversation. Becca speaks candidly about needing to discover who she was beyond the lane lines. She pursued her passion for writing, earning a BFA in screenwriting from USC and working on hit shows like "The Morning Show." She traveled solo, climbed mountains, and experienced the unstructured life she'd never known during her regimented swimming career.

Her path back began unexpectedly through Masters swimming at West Hollywood Aquatics, where she jumped into lane one and "almost died that first practice." Becca reveals. "I was always swimming the 1500 at Olympic trials." That return to the water sparked a realization: "How did I not swim for two years? This is what I love. This is who I am."

Becca opens up about her experiences with OCD, describing how intrusive thoughts affect her and the tools she's developed to manage them. Rather than seeing her mental health challenges as obstacles, she explores how neurodivergence shapes both her athletic career and creative pursuits. Her memoir "Outside the Lanes" documents this journey with raw honesty.

Now training in North Carolina with Olympic swimmer Ashley Twitchell, Becca has her sights set on qualifying for the national team and potentially even the 2028 Olympics. At the end of our conversation, when asked what word comes to mind when she's in the water, her answer is immediate and profound: "Peace."

Ready to dive deeper into stories of athletic resilience and transformation? Subscribe to Champions Mojo and join our community celebrating comeback champions and lifelong swimmers.

Email us at HELLO@ChampionsMojo.com. Opinions discussed are not medical advice, please seek a medical professional for your own health concerns.

Do you have a streak going? Laurie Hug, retired professional triathlete and masters swimmer, shares her 34 year streak, training wisdom and remarkable journey from the deck of YMCA Masters Nationals Championships in Orlando. Her approach to swimming, coaching, and competition showcases how consistency, smart training, and positive mindset contribute to athletic longevity and continued success at the highest levels. Laurie is a member the 1776 Masters and swims in the 60-64 age-group.

Laurie List:

• Coaches swimmers of all levels in the Philadelphia area with 1776 team
• Recommends swimming at least three times weekly for beginners to make real progress
• Adapts training for triathletes based on race distance, sometimes incorporating recovery swims
• Swims daily with a rotating group of 13 friends, many former college swimmers
• Incorporates strength training twice weekly alongside focused stroke/IM work
• Overcame undiagnosed anemia that severely impacted performance in her 30s
• Shares key differences between pool and open water swimming techniques
• Has a 31 year streak going, can you guess what it is?
• Transformed mindset during difficult races to maintain performance

Email us at HELLO@ChampionsMojo.com. Opinions discussed are not medical advice, please seek a medical professional for your own health concerns.

A disqualification that turns into one of swimming's most viral moments. A champion brought to his knees in tears as officials strip away his victory. And a redemption exactly one year later that proves sometimes, the universe does give second chances.

NC State NCAA All-American and ACC Champion in the mile (1650), Owen Lloyd's journey from heartbreak to triumph embodies everything we love about sports comebacks. After winning the mile at the ACC Championships during his senior year, Owen experienced the crushing disappointment of being disqualified for inadvertently falling into a competitor's lane during celebration. The moment – captured on camera just as he was about to be interviewed as champion – amassed over a million views online and sparked outrage throughout the swimming community.

Rather than let this devastating moment define him, Owen returned for a fifth year with renewed determination. He meticulously developed mental techniques to maintain focus during his grueling event, including playing specific songs in his head throughout different phases of the race. His disciplined approach to training included benchmark test sets that built unshakable confidence, even when facing Olympic-level competition.

The story reaches its perfect conclusion when Owen returns to ACCs one year later, executing a flawless strategic race to reclaim his rightful title with the best time of his career. As he touched the wall in victory, the basketball phrase "ball don't lie" said everything that needed saying. His improvement from a 15:24 freshman to a 14:29 fifth-year stands as testament to what's possible when defeat becomes fuel rather than a final chapter.

Whether you're a swimmer or simply someone who appreciates inspiring comebacks against the odds, Owen's story reminds us that our greatest setbacks often precede our greatest triumphs. Listen now and discover how the discipline of distance swimming creates not just champions in the pool, but individuals equipped to overcome life's most challenging moments.

• NC State All-American and ACC Champion in the mile (1650)
• Improved from 15:24 as a freshman to 14:29 in his fifth year
• Masters Student focusing on coaching, leadership and psychology
• Recently retired from competitive swimming at 2023 NCAAs
• Uses carefully selected music in his head to maintain focus during races
• Created a strict 3-hour pre-race routine for the mile
• Endured a heartbreaking disqualification after winning ACCs
• Returned one year later to win the event legitimately against stronger competition
• Planning to pursue coaching at the collegiate level
• Values "pressure is a privilege" as his guiding philosophy

Email us at HELLO@ChampionsMojo.com. Opinions discussed are not medical advice, please seek a medical professional for your own health concerns.

Nancy Steadman Martin is the only woman in the world, over 70, to break 21 minutes in the 1500 freestyle! What does it mean to be truly unstoppable at 70? Steadman Martin embodies this question as she continues to shatter world swimming records while maintaining a thriving career as a senior law partner. Her remarkable journey defies every notion about aging and physical limitations. She's also a mermaid--really!

Nancy's swimming resume reads like a fantasy novel: world records in the 800 and 1500 freestyle (70-74 age group), swimming the English Channel in record time for women over 50, completing the coveted Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming, and winning national titles that often beat competitors decades younger. All while working full-time in law.

The secret to her extraordinary success? A 5:05 AM daily plunge into the pool for a 4,500-yard workout before heading to the office by 8:00, coupled with an unwavering commitment to goal-setting. "I couldn't just get in the pool and swim up and down," Nancy explains. "I need something that I'm looking forward to." This forward-looking perspective has carried her through every challenge, including a life-threatening bout with pneumonia that required lung surgery in 2017.

Perhaps most touching is the legacy connection—Nancy now competes to break her late mother's backstroke records as she ages into each new bracket, describing the feeling as if her mother is swimming in the lane beside her. This familial connection extends to her chosen swimming family, the Mighty Mermaids, a legendary team of women in their 60s and 70s who have been breaking relay records together for 20 years.

When asked what word comes to mind when diving into water, Nancy's answer is profoundly simple: "I'm home." For anyone feeling limited by age or circumstance, Nancy's extraordinary journey proves that with the right mindset and community, our greatest achievements may still lie ahead, regardless of age.

Email us at HELLO@ChampionsMojo.com. Opinions discussed are not medical advice, please seek a medical professional for your own health concerns.

"Swimming for me was huge therapy," Matt explains. When Matt lost his beloved wife Christina in the January 2020 helicopter crash that also claimed Kobe Bryant's life, his world shattered. Just weeks later, COVID lockdowns isolated him further as he faced the daunting challenge of raising three children alone. In this profoundly moving conversation, Matt reveals how he returned to swimming—a passion from his youth—as a form of therapy during his darkest days.

From the depths of unimaginable tragedy emerges a story of remarkable resilience, as Matt Mauser—musician, author, and masters swimmer and former NCAA All-American swimmer—shares his journey of rebuilding life after devastating loss.

"Swimming for me was huge therapy," Matt explains, describing how he improvised with a harness in his jacuzzi when pools closed during lockdown. This determination to keep swimming symbolizes his broader approach to grief: showing up even when it's difficult. "I go not because I want to go, but because it's the right thing to do."

Matt's story weaves together his journey from competitive swimmer to successful musician fronting the popular Tijuana Dogs band, his marriage to Christina (whom he met at one of his performances), and their eventual connection to Kobe Bryant through basketball coaching. Through it all emerges a powerful philosophy about finding joy after loss: "Life is for the living, and I intend to live."

Now, through his heartfelt memoir "Bittersweet Treasures" and the Christina Mauser Foundation (which has provided over $100,000 in scholarships to female athletes), Matt honors Christina's legacy while embracing a future filled with purpose. For anyone struggling with grief or seeking inspiration to overcome life's challenges, this conversation offers a roadmap to finding those "treasures" that make life worth living again.

Subscribe to Champions Mojo for more stories of resilience, achievement, and the healing power of swimming in our lives.

Email us at HELLO@ChampionsMojo.com. Opinions discussed are not medical advice, please seek a medical professional for your own health concerns.