Champions Mojo for Masters Swimmers

What we if women treated our bodies like a gift instead of a problem to fix? And men you'll want to listen up if you have ever been asked by a woman, do I look fat? You'll get the right answer in this episode! 
After swim practice, we sit down with Stephanie Havelka, a true water woman whose life in sport spans competitive swimming, Kona Ironman, outrigger canoe racing around the globe, surf ski, and even Olympic Trials kayaking. She also happens to be the founder of Sportkini, a swimwear brand built for athletic women who actually move. She's also a  #1 ranked US Masters swimmer. 

We talk about how a “champion mindset” transfers from one sport to the next: being coachable, staying curious, and using training as a tool for confidence. Stephanie shares the behind-the-scenes story of how Sport Kini started with sketches at 14, then took shape after a chance meeting with a top Australian swimsuit designer who taught her how to build suits that stay put, feel good, and hold up to chlorine, salt water and real adventure. If you’ve ever searched for athletic swimwear, sport bikinis, or a two piece swimsuit you can truly swim in, you’ll hear exactly what “function first” looks like.

Then we go deeper into body confidence. Stretch marks, scars, changes, and the constant background noise of “should” do not get the final say. Stephanie lays out a simple, brave approach: wear what you want, try it a little at a time if you’re nervous, and get your mind off the suit so you can get back to the sport you love. She also shares how she lost 52 pounds by lowering stress and addressing an autoimmune flare cycle, and how that shift helped her return to training and post the #1 US time in the 55–59 SCM 100 free while still seeing big room to improve.

If you know a masters swimmer, triathlete, paddler, or any active woman who needs a boost, share this conversation with them. Subscribe to Champions Mojo, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, and tell us what you’re learning to embrace in your own body.

• Stephanie’s path from competitive swimming to Kona Ironman, outrigger canoe racing, surf ski and Olympic Trials kayaking 
• Using a sport mindset to learn new skills, accept coaching and push through setbacks 
• The long origin story of Sport Kini, from teen sketches to an Australia mentor to selling 700 suits solo 
• Why athletic women need swimwear built for movement, real sizing and durable construction 
• Body confidence as a practice, letting go of shame and wearing what you want 
• Losing 52 pounds by lowering stress, addressing autoimmune flare-ups and making swimming fun again 
• Current masters swim training, plus focusing on starts, turns and future meet goals 
https://sportkini.com/
https://www.instagram.com/sportkini/

Would you consider leaving us a five star review on Apple? That's like getting a best time for us. Kelly and our team would be so grateful. 

Email us at [email protected]. Opinions discussed are not medical advice, please seek a medical professional for your own health concerns.
You can learn more about the Host and Founder of Champions Mojo at www.KellyPalace.com

We talk with Chris Harris, the Warrior Maker, an elite athlete, author and speaker, who has trained Navy Seals, Green Berets and professional athletes to have tough mindsets. He says it's about mastering the space between stimulus and response so pressure will stop running your life. We break down metacognition, subconscious habit change, and race ready mindset tools that help master swimmers stay resilient and perform on purpose. 

• Chris’s turning point from homelessness to a mission of “sending down the rope” 
• What “warrior” means as mindset rather than combat 
• Slowing down the response and dropping the need for approval 
• Metacognition as a tool for real time micro adjustments 
• Autopilot behaviour and why fear based patterns feel automatic 
• “Critical Carl” as the subconscious firewall that blocks unfamiliar change 
• Getting into theta state through meditation, hypnosis, and planned repetition 
• The MetaCue method using a future memory, gratitude, and a daily cue 
• Resilience built on a clear why plus acceptance of inner rivals 
• Ego, insecurity, and identity shifts that can derail performance 
• Endurance racing as a long stimulus response gap that demands automation 
• OODA (observe, orient, decide, act) loop thinking applied to sport and execution 
Chris's book, The Book of Mindset is available on Amazon.

Would you consider leaving us a five star review on Apple? That's like getting a best time for us. Kelly and our team would be so grateful. 

Email us at [email protected]. Opinions discussed are not medical advice, please seek a medical professional for your own health concerns.
You can learn more about the Host and Founder of Champions Mojo at www.KellyPalace.com

After 17 Ironmans, a broken ankle might not feel like a full stop, but for Jane Esahak-Gage it becomes a pivot point. After decades of pushing her body through Ironman triathlon training and racing, she gets one piece of advice that changes her path: get back in the pool. What happens next is the kind of surprise many endurance athletes secretly hope for, a return to movement that feels healing instead of punishing. 

Jane brings a rare perspective as a world-class long-distance triathlete who also thrives in masters swimming. We talk about her biggest triathlon highlights, how she and her husband George built a life around sport, and the day a bike crash with a red-light runner rewrote their story. The recovery, the fear that can linger around cycling, and the resilience required to keep showing up all surface in a candid, human way. 

From there, we get practical about masters swim training and why it works. Jane shares her weekly routine, why intervals and stroke variety beat endless freestyle, a favourite set for sharpening 400 IM speed, and the strength training habits that support shoulder health and durability. If you care about longevity in sport, low-impact fitness, injury prevention, and rediscovering joy in training, this conversation delivers real takeaways you can use at your next practice. 

If you enjoy the show, subscribe, share it with a training buddy, and leave a review so more swimmers can find us. What’s one change that made your training feel better overnight?
Email us at [email protected]. Opinions discussed are not medical advice, please seek a medical professional for your own health concerns.
You can learn more about the Host and Founder of Champions Mojo at www.KellyPalace.com

Doug Springer is 80 years old, but looks and swims like he's 20 years younger. He joins us to unpack the swims that led to four world records, including a jaw-dropping 400 IM where he took 17 seconds off the world mark and cleared the national record by 35. If you love masters swimming, training for longevity, or simply want proof that performance doesn’t expire, this conversation delivers real fuel.

We dig into the details that make Doug’s approach so fascinating. He’s a self-described breaststroker, yet he leans into unconventional solutions across strokes, including breaststroke kick during butterfly and a double-arm backstroke paired with that same kick. The bigger takeaway isn’t “break the rules,” it’s “know your strengths,” then build technique you can repeat under fatigue while protecting your shoulders and joints. For adult swimmers and older athletes, that mindset can be the difference between plateau and progress.

Doug also shares a practical, repeatable masters swim training rhythm: sprint-focused days, distance-focused days, and a realistic weekly schedule built around work and recovery. We talk favourite sets, why 50s are a staple for many older swimmers, and how he helped build a thriving masters program in a retirement community, using USMS Adult Learn to Swim to welcome beginners and dual meets to make racing feel inviting. If you’ve ever wondered how to stay fast, connected, and motivated in the pool for decades, press play.

Subscribe for more stories and coaching-grade tips, share this with a lane mate, and leave a review if the show helps you swim and live better. What’s one part of your training you’d change to swim strong for life?
Email us at [email protected]. Opinions discussed are not medical advice, please seek a medical professional for your own health concerns.
You can learn more about the Host and Founder of Champions Mojo at www.KellyPalace.com

Doubt shows up for everyone, even the most decorated athletes. We invited bestselling author and two-time TEDx speaker Simone Knego to break down a simple, durable system for building confidence that actually holds under pressure. Her REAL method—respect yourself, embrace your failures, ask yourself what you want, and live without limits—turns confidence from a fuzzy feeling into a daily practice you can train like endurance, breath control, or pacing.

We start by redefining self-respect as the foundation of performance: recovery, sleep, and boundaries that protect your best work. Simone explains how setting limits at home, on teams, and at the office teaches others how to treat you. Then we reframe failure as data, not identity, and share practical ways to process a bad race or rough set without letting it define the next one. You’ll hear why giving yourself a “move on” date shortens the spiral and how to turn the inner critic into a useful coach.

Asking what you truly want might be the hardest—and most freeing—step. Masters swimmers and weekend warriors alike feel the pull of old identities and outside expectations. We explore how naming your real goals changes your training, stress, and satisfaction. Simone also shares her quick “Control Alt Delete” mindset reset: catch the thought, tell a better story, and delete beliefs that don’t serve you. It’s a powerful pattern interrupt when stakes are high.

Simone’s Kilimanjaro climb ties it all together. Training from flat Florida with breath-restriction work, loaded hikes, and strength, she learned to manage doubt one step at a time. On the mountain and during a painful descent, she discovered that going slower can reveal more—and that persistence is confidence in motion. We also talk openly about leaving an abusive relationship, repairing self-talk, and modeling respect for the next generation.

If you’re ready to build unshakeable confidence without burning out, this conversation offers clear tools you can use today. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs a boost, and leave a quick review to help others find the show. What part of the REAL method will you try first?
Email us at [email protected]. Opinions discussed are not medical advice, please seek a medical professional for your own health concerns.
You can learn more about the Host and Founder of Champions Mojo at www.KellyPalace.com