58 Swimming Quotes from Professional Swimmers You Can Be taught From

Swimming isn’t straightforward. 

Perhaps follow has been difficult. You’re drained, stiff, and sore. The water is chilly. You’re coming off a nasty swim meet. You’ve plateaued within the water, and also you’re questioning when you’ll ever be capable to enhance once more. 

You will have a thousand totally different excuses you could fall again on. And rightly so. 

However will you let your excuses mean you can get the most effective of you? To get the most effective of your targets? 

Feeling this manner is regular, and each swimmer experiences this now and again. Nevertheless, attempt to hold an open thoughts. Take into consideration your long-term targets. To get there, you’ll have to push by means of now, regardless of the way you’re feeling. 

Typically all we’d like is a little bit of motivation or inspiration to get us going. So earlier than you skip swim follow, learn this text first. It would simply be the enhance you want. 

Or possibly issues aren’t all so doom and gloom, and also you’re simply in search of enjoyable swimming quotes to jot down in your coaching log. 

Regardless of the case, listed here are a few of my favourite swimming quotes from Olympic swimmers. 

My purpose right here isn’t simply to provide the quotes however to see what sensible recommendation we are able to derive from them and apply to swimming and our lives. 

Motivational Swimming Quotes from Olympic Swimmers

”It’s not about being the most effective. It’s about being higher than you had been yesterday.”

– Florent Manaudou (Olympic Gold Medalist)

If you wish to really feel depressing about your self and your achievements, consistently examine your self to others. 

Don’t get me fallacious. Comparability is sweet. It’s what drives us to work tougher and be higher. And infrequently, evaluating your self to others generally is a wholesome motivator.

The issues begin to come up once we consistently examine ourselves to different swimmers.

As a rule, these comparisons aren’t an correct reflection of our progress. Everyone seems to be totally different. Everybody’s circumstances are totally different. And this will likely be mirrored in our progress as nicely.

The one genuinely correct comparability you can also make is towards your self. This is the reason I’m an enormous advocate for day by day self-reflection and protecting a coaching journal. 

You can too apply this idea to assessment your swim meets and races. 

By being conscious of your shortcomings and the place you’re going fallacious, you’ll be able to skyrocket your progress and outcomes. 

When you’re up for it, I like to recommend doing this in your private life and targets as nicely. 

Associated swimming quotes from different Olympic swimmers:

• “I come to follow daily with the mindset that I’m there to get higher.” – Caeleb Dressel 
• “I’m attempting to do the most effective I can. I’m not involved with tomorrow, however with what goes on at present.” – Mark Spitz
• “I nonetheless imagine there’s large room for enchancment, whether or not it’s dietary, stroke, mechanics, mental- I’m nonetheless studying.” – Roland Schoeman

“The most important factor that I’ve at all times stated isn’t hand over. I by no means have, and no one ever ought to. If they need one thing dangerous sufficient, they’ll get it.”

– Michael Phelps (23x Olympic Gold Medalist)

Fast query right here for all the aggressive swimmers– what number of occasions have you ever felt like giving up?

I do know that thought has simply crossed my thoughts greater than a dozen occasions all through my swimming profession. And that’s most likely an understatement. 

Right here’s the factor. I’m a agency believer within the saying: “you solely lose when you stop,” and it’s served me nicely through the years.

As of penning this, I’m at the moment in a plateau myself. I haven’t swam a PB in my major occasion in over two years. And sure, I’ll be the primary to confess a few of it’s my fault. Might I’ve educated tougher? Might I’ve educated extra? Completely. 

Will I hand over? No. 

Why not? As a result of I do know from previous expertise that I at all times come again stronger and higher if I hold working and don’t stop. Regardless of the endeavor could also be. 

The vital factor right here is to acknowledge and proper your errors (suppose: coaching log) and never dwell on them. Hold exhibiting up daily and hold coaching onerous, irrespective of your present scenario. Issues will get higher when you work on them. 

Associated swimming quotes:

• “Persistence can change failure into extraordinary achievement.” – Matt Biondi
• “Desires do come true… by no means cease believing.” – Josh Davis

“You’ve simply acquired to attempt to hold enhancing a little bit bit every day and carry on coaching to maneuver that needle as shut as you’ll be able to to good.”

– Ryan Murphy (4x Olympic Gold Medalist)

Lengthy-term consistency beats quick bursts of effort any day. 

Give attention to getting 1% higher each single day. That’s it. That’s the key to success. 

Mastering that is tougher stated than accomplished, however it’s a aggressive benefit that few individuals will ever be capable to beat. 

A sensible instance (and a narrative that I really like) is the British biking workforce. They went practically 100 years, profitable solely a single gold medal on the Olympic video games. They usually fared even worse on the Tour de France. 

This was till a brand new coach by the identify of Dave Brailsford confirmed up. His complete coaching philosophy was primarily based on incremental positive factors. And he utilized this philosophy to each the apparent and unobvious areas of the workforce’s coaching. 

The outcomes? 5 years later, the British biking workforce gained 60% of all of the biking gold medals on the Beijing Olympic Video games. Quick ahead one other 4 years to the London Video games, they usually had damaged 9 Olympic and 7 world information.

That’s the facility of constant incremental enhancements. 

One thing else that I wish to level out right here is that you need to be keen to be affected person. Turning into nice at one thing takes a number of time. There is no such thing as a secret. There is no such thing as a shortcut. You need to put within the effort and time.

“Ache is short-term– satisfaction is ceaselessly.”

– Alexander Popov (4x Olympic Gold Medalist)

Have you ever ever slacked off the final 10 meters of your race? How about in coaching?

Now suppose again to the final time you gained a medal, made a closing, certified for that huge meet, achieved that purpose time, and even simply went actually quick in follow. How did it really feel?

We regularly get caught up in our minds focusing and getting distracted by the short-term ache, discomfort, and fatigue our our bodies face. It occurs to the most effective of us. 

The bottom line is to acknowledge when it’s occurring and never enable it to get the most effective of us. 

Don’t enable short-term ache within the final 10 meters of your race to break the complete factor and all of the hours and energy you’ve put into coaching. 

Associated Swimming Quotes:

• “I informed myself there was no manner I used to be going to let this coaching go to waste. It was my time, and I used to be able to go.” – Katie Hoff
• “Observe such as you’re not adequate to win. Race such as you’re too good to lose.” – Katie Ledecky
• “If you wish to be the most effective, you need to be keen to do issues that different individuals aren’t keen to do.” – Michael Phelps

“So many individuals alongside the way in which, no matter it’s you aspire to do, will inform you it may possibly’t be accomplished. However all it takes is creativeness. You dream. You intend. You attain.”

– Michael Phelps (39x World Report Holder)

What number of occasions have individuals unrightfully doubted you? 

I’m not saying to take individuals’s doubts and throw all of it out of the window, both. Usually it comes from a well-intentioned place, they usually merely need the most effective for you. 

But it surely’s vital to do not forget that most individuals are extremely risk-averse, particularly within the modern-day. 

Typically you simply should take that leap. Be sure it’s a calculated leap. It’s good to have a plan. You want actions you’ll take to get to your targets.  

And possibly you fail. 

That’s okay, too, since you would’ve discovered one thing from it. Probably, you’ll understand that you’re able to a lot greater than you give your self credit score for. However when you don’t at the least give your self an opportunity, you’ll by no means know what you’ll be able to obtain. 

“Everybody can prepare onerous once they’re feeling good. But it surely’s the times while you’re feeling dangerous that you need to step up. That’s when champions step up. They pull by means of.”

– Chad Le Clos (Olympic Gold Medalist)

Coaching gained’t at all times be straightforward. You’ll get drained, sore, and stiff. Perhaps you need to endure chilly water or another impediment.

But it surely’s typically throughout these onerous classes the place we take advantage of progress if we’re keen to push our our bodies a bit tougher. Not simply bodily progress however psychological progress as nicely.

There’s truly an idea for this in sports activities science known as super-compensation. The fundamental thought is that after a interval of coaching and making use of stress on the physique, there’s a drop-off in efficiency on account of fatigue. After recovering (a lighter exercise, for instance), the physique rebounds to above its earlier efficiency baseline. 

Whereas the super-compensation impact doesn’t final, it should inevitably elevate your efficiency baseline to greater ranges over time. 

“I feel targets ought to by no means be straightforward. They need to drive you to work, even when they’re uncomfortable on the time.”

– Michael Phelps (28x Olympic Medalist)

Having targets for the stuff you wish to obtain is extraordinarily vital. Targets provide you with course.

However there’s a caveat. 

Your targets should be difficult. They should push you to your limits. They should make you query whether or not they’re even attainable to attain. 

Former Navy SEAL and ultramarathon runner David Goggins explains this very nicely. Right here’s what he has to say: 

“I requested him a query. Do you’ve worry of not reaching these targets? He stated no… Nicely, that’s the issue. You’re setting targets you understand you’ll be able to attain, and while you try this, that worry, that insecurity, that’s the place you develop; he’s not getting that. You should at all times set targets that you just suppose you can’t obtain, after which there you get higher.” 

In the case of setting targets, I like to recommend breaking them down. I’m not saying make them straightforward. However don’t begin by making the Olympic video games your purpose when you’ve but to attain a nationwide title. Don’t make a nationwide title your purpose when you’ve but to achieve a nationwide closing. 

Break it down. Be sure your targets are difficult and push your limits. However sequence them in steps that result in your final purpose and solely concentrate on the subsequent step. 

Personally, I discover this course of way more fulfilling and fewer overwhelming. It additionally yields higher outcomes because you at all times know what the subsequent step is that you need to take to get the place you wish to go.

Associated swimming quotes:

• “I needed to do one thing that no one had ever accomplished earlier than. And that began with a dream and a purpose.” – Michael Phelps 
• “With out targets, coaching has no course.” – Natalie Coughlin 

“We’ve seen, again and again when individuals concentrate on the result slightly than what must be accomplished to attain a fascinating consequence, then the wheels fall off.”

– Cate Campbell (4x Olympic Gold Medalist)

Determine the actions it is advisable take to attain your purpose.

Don’t confuse actions and outcomes. Actions are in your management. Outcomes are usually not.

An final result is the symptom of a collection of actions. 

Focus solely on the actions it is advisable take to attain an final result. Make the standard of your actions the purpose. Don’t make the result itself your purpose. 

“It’s what you do with the tough patches that may outline the athlete that you just’ll change into.”

– Dana Vollmer (5x Olympic Gold Medalist)

Progress isn’t linear. Usually it strikes by means of phases of little to no progress adopted by an exponential leap.

However when you use these phases of little to no progress to concentrate on constructing your basis, the leap is a lot greater when it does occur. The broader and stronger your basis, the upper you’ll be able to construct. 

Most individuals will stop once they don’t see the outcomes they need. That is the place the weak get weeded out. There’s a saying that the purpose the place you wish to stop is commonly the purpose at which you’re about to succeed. 

That is additionally intertwined with our idea of incremental positive factors that we mentioned earlier. Progress is gradual at first, however over time, these 1% enhancements compound and result in extraordinary outcomes. 

“Issues gained’t go completely. It’s all about the way you adapt from these issues and study from errors.”

– Michael Phelps (23x Olympic Gold Medalist)

What number of occasions have you ever undertaken one thing the place the whole lot went completely and precisely as deliberate? 

I don’t suppose that’s ever been the case for me.

Nevertheless, by being open-minded and making use of a development mindset, you should utilize this stuff to change into higher than you’ve ever been. 

Most individuals shrink back from errors. We’ve been conditioned to suppose that errors are a nasty factor. However the factor is, errors are a incredible studying alternative.

Usually we study extra from failure than success. 

Bear in mind our little dialogue about utilizing a coaching log for self-reflection about your swimming? When you don’t self-reflect, it’s onerous to acknowledge your errors, it’s difficult to study from them, it’s unimaginable to repair them, and you’re sure to repeat them. 

Associated swimming quotes:

• “Failing at one thing is one of the simplest ways to study what it takes to succeed at it. Failing to make the Seoul Olympic workforce was the start of my success, mockingly sufficient” – Summer time Sanders
• “There are going to be obstacles that are available your manner. Keep constructive.” – Michael Phelps. 
• “Usually talking, I’ve at all times discovered setbacks extraordinarily motivating. You by no means recognize these setbacks on the time, however when you change your perspective, you’ll be able to flip them right into a extremely motivational instrument.” – Natalie Coughlin. 

“I attempt to make the great days nice and take one thing constructive from the times I’m not feeling good – work on method or one thing like that.”

– Katie Ledecky (7x Olympic Gold Medalist)

The actual fact of the matter is there are some days while you simply aren’t going to have the ability to prepare as onerous as you wish to.

Perhaps your physique is simply too fatigued. Perhaps circumstances outdoors of swimming aren’t preferrred– college is hard, you haven’t been getting sufficient sleep, you’re wired, and so on. 

Nevertheless, you’ll be able to nonetheless make your coaching session worthwhile. When you’re going to be within the pool for the subsequent 2 hours, why not attempt to take advantage of it? Work on underwaters, hand entry, turns, respiratory, and so on. 

Are you able to enhance your underwaters by 1%? 

Choose one factor and concentrate on that for the exercise. Most of us can do with some extra method work anyway. 

“Nice issues by no means come from consolation zones.”

– Penny Oleksiak (Olympic Gold Medalist)

How straightforward is it to get locked up within the routine of going to coaching, doing the exercise, pushing ourselves a bit right here and there, skipping a 50 right here, or slacking off a bit there? How many people do that?

Be trustworthy.

Whereas this routine will, in all chance, nonetheless mean you can make progress for a while, there’ll come a degree the place it locks you right into a everlasting plateau you could’t escape. 

In case your purpose is making progress as quick as attainable, this additionally isn’t a very efficient technique. 

To change into the most effective swimmer you could be, you’ll be able to’t get caught on this routine of consolation. You need to be consistently progressing outdoors of your consolation zone and pushing your boundaries in coaching. 

One other quote by Nicole Haislett (a 3-time Olympic gold medalist swimmer) completely suits with this: “Determine your private limits after which push previous them. Then set new limitations, and repeat the method repeatedly, and once more.”

As soon as once more, how can you make sure that you don’t get caught on this routine of consolation and that you just’re consistently making progress? Self-reflect. Have a coaching journal. 

“Excellent preparation prevents poor efficiency, the 5 P’s.”

– Sue Rolph (3x Commonwealth Video games Gold Medalist)

Did you present as much as all your swim practices over the past season? Did you do all your dryland exercises? How about your vitamin? Did you stretch? Sleep sufficient? Did you ensure to finish your coaching journal? 

What in regards to the precise high quality of every exercise? How was that?

And that’s not even the whole lot. There are extra issues that I can name- race technique, visualization, and so on. 

If you wish to carry out at a excessive stage, you need to hit all the markers each single day. And you may’t simply hit them; you need to guarantee they’re prime quality.

I’m not saying you need to get the whole lot 110% good each single day for 5 years straight. That’s unimaginable. Life doesn’t enable for it. Not even the most effective of the most effective can try this. 

But when you will get the standard of the whole lot you do to 80% and hit that marker daily, you’re going to make a number of progress all through a season. It’s significantly better to get the 80% daily than it’s to get the 110% at times. 

And when you can’t try this but, go for the 70%, the 60%, and so forth. Begin someplace and construct it up till you’ll be able to consistently repeat it. Then transfer to the next stage. 

Associated swimming quotes:

• “The explanation swimming is among the hardest sports activities is that you need to be within the pool by your self daily, making that sacrifice. There’s no time to do anything.” – Chad le Clos
• “Simply do the rattling work” – Burce Gemmell (Katie Ledecky’s coach)
• “I need to have the ability to look again and say, ‘I’ve accomplished the whole lot I can, and I used to be profitable.’ I don’t wish to look again and say I ought to have accomplished this or that.” – Michael Phelps
• “Confidence comes from what you do in follow each single day” – Jordan Wilimovsky.  
• “There are lots of people which can be very proficient. However simply don’t work at it. It’s a waste of expertise when you don’t work at it and enhance.” – Tracy Calkins 
• “When you fail to arrange, you’re ready to fail.” – Mark Spitz
• “You don’t wish to line up on the blocks and know you haven’t accomplished the whole lot you probably can.” – Stephanie Rice 
• “I swam the race like I educated to swim it. It isn’t mathematical. I simply let my physique do it. It’s a lot simpler when you let your physique do what it’s educated for.” – Ian Thorpe. 

Inspirational Swimming Quotes from Olympic Swimmers

“The stuff you study from sports activities – setting targets, being a part of a workforce, confidence – that’s invaluable. It’s not about trophies and ribbons. It’s about being on time for follow, accepting challenges, and being afraid of the weather.”

– Summer time Sanders (2x Olympic Gold Medalist)

I’m not the most effective swimmer on the market and can by no means be. Certain, I’ve had my moments of victory, and likelihood is you’ve had them too.

However for me, swimming is about much more than profitable. It’s in regards to the classes I study, the buddies I make, the experiences I collect, and the flexibility to grasp not solely my physique but additionally my thoughts.

I’m not saying that profitable doesn’t matter. There is no such thing as a different feeling like the fun you get from touching the wall first and taking gold. 

However don’t make it your sole focus.

When you make profitable your sole focus, you’re going to have a troublesome time within the sport and gained’t get pleasure from it practically as a lot as you need to. 

Have a look at the whole lot else that swimming has to supply. Acknowledge. Be taught. Apply it to different areas of your life. 

Associated swimming quotes:

• “A very powerful lesson I’ve discovered from sports activities is easy methods to be not solely a gracious winner however an excellent loser as nicely. Not everybody wins on a regular basis; as a matter of reality, nobody wins on a regular basis. Profitable is the simple half; shedding is de facto powerful. However you study extra from one loss than you do from one million wins. You study loads about sportsmanship.” – Amy Van Dyken
• “It’s not about profitable on the Olympic video games; it’s about attempting to win. The motto is quicker, greater, and stronger. Not quickest, highest, strongest. Typically it’s the attempting that issues.” – Bronte Barratt
• “It’s probably not about counting medals for me. It’s nearly getting higher daily.” – Caeleb Dressel. 

“Being your finest is just not a lot about overcoming the limitations different individuals place in entrance of you as it’s about overcoming the limitations we place in entrance of ourselves. It has nothing to do with what number of occasions you win or lose. It has no relation to the place you end in a race or whether or not you break world information. But it surely does have the whole lot to do with having the imaginative and prescient to dream, the braveness to get well from adversity, and the dedication by no means to be shifted out of your targets.”

– Kieren Perkins (2x Olympic Gold Medalist)

You’ve most likely heard the age-old recommendation of believing in your self earlier than.

It’s typically straightforward to look previous it and shrug it off as being “wishy-washy.” 

But it surely holds a number of reality. When you don’t imagine in your self and your targets and that it’s the realm of chance to attain them, then you definately gained’t.

Since you’ll cease earlier than you even get shut. I imply– what are the possibilities you’ll hold chasing after one thing you don’t even imagine you’ll be able to obtain?

I’m not telling you to be unrealistic. 

However who defines what unrealistic is? That’s one thing you outline for your self. I’ve stated it earlier than, however most individuals don’t have any sense of what’s attainable for them to attain.

Why? As a result of they haven’t even tried. Earlier than you deem one thing unrealistic or implausible, you higher give it an excellent run for its cash. 

Associated swimming quotes:

• “The extra you imagine in your self, the quicker you’re going to get.” – Adam Peaty
• “The tougher I labored, the higher I acquired. The higher I acquired, the extra I believed in myself and the targets I needed to attain in swimming.” – Erik Vendt 
• “A real champion is aware of easy methods to overcome doubts and handle these doubts and switch them into motivation.” – Misty Hyman 
• “The physique does what the thoughts prefers.” – Lenny Krayzelburg 
• “You’ll be able to’t put a restrict on something. The extra you dream, the farther you get”. – Michael Phelps

“Benefit from the journey, get pleasure from each second, and cease worrying about profitable and shedding.”

– Matt Biondi (8x Olympic Gold Medalist)

As aggressive swimmers, we frequently get so locked up chasing after our targets that we overlook to benefit from the journey alongside the way in which.

Most frequently, the achievement that comes from doing one thing isn’t in reaching the purpose however within the technique of working in direction of that purpose. The key is in your day by day actions. That is additionally the place you may be spending most of your time.

When you attain the purpose, it’s solely a short second of satisfaction, and then you definately transfer on to your subsequent purpose. 

So attempt to not take the whole lot so significantly on a regular basis. Have enjoyable. Benefit from the course of. And as Jeff Rouse (see quote beneath) says: “Get pleasure from swimming for swimming’s sake.” 

Associated Swimming Quotes:

• “Typically we complain, however there’s something lovely about waking up earlier than everybody to get higher at what we love.” – Natalie Coughlin
• “Get pleasure from swimming for swimming’s sake. We now have to spend far an excessive amount of time within the water to not benefit from the technique of difficult your self of transferring by means of the water.” – Jeff Rouse
• “When you actually love one thing, that by no means dies, and it by no means goes away, and that’s what it’s like with swimming… I genuinely love the game, whether or not I’m competing or not. No matter I’m doing, I’ll nonetheless love the game; it’s such an important factor to be part of.” – Rebecca Adlington 
• “My favourite quote is from my dad, ‘Do your finest and have enjoyable.’ That’s just about what I’ve lived by.” – Amanda Beard
• “An enormous a part of swimming for me is I find it irresistible, and it’s so a lot enjoyable.” – Missy Franklin
• “It’s unbelievable; I’m swimming so quick. I went in with no expectations. I simply went out hoping to get a private finest. I went on the market with a smile, simply to have enjoyable and see what would occur.” – Jade Edmistone
• “It’s not the vacation spot, it’s the journey.” – Missy Franklin

“For myself, shedding is just not coming second. It’s getting out of the water understanding you might have accomplished higher. For myself, I’ve gained each race I’ve been in.”

– Ian Thorpe (5x Olympic Gold Medalist)

Whether or not you’re taking gold, podium, and even make the ultimate is out of your management.

Sure, you’ll be able to argue that it’s in your management within the sense that when you educated extra, tougher, or higher, then it could possibly be within the realm of prospects. 

However what when you did all of these issues? What when you made the many of the assets obtainable to you?

You’ll be able to’t management whether or not or not one other swimmer goes quicker than you. You’ll be able to’t management if they’re extra proficient than you, have extra entry to assets, and so on.

However you’ll be able to management what you do. Solely you’ll know when you gave it your all.

Associated Inspirational Swimming Quotes:

• “I can’t management what goes on in one other lane, and that is how I concentrate on the video games. There is no such thing as a level in being nervous about different swimmers. It’s nearly specializing in your self and what it is advisable do in an effort to carry out at your finest.” – Cameron van der Burgh
• “You’re at all times racing towards the opposite swimmers, however I at all times attempt to concentrate on what I’m doing and the way I wish to swim my races.” – Katie Ledecky
• “By no means fear about what anybody else is doing…Simply swim your personal race.” – Dara Torres
• “Tonight was not about profitable; it was about specializing in myself and what I used to be aiming to do. It’s the explanation why I used to be capable of swim so nicely.” – Libby Lenton (Trickett)

Swimming Quotes Can Give You a Motivational Increase

Whether or not you wanted a motivational enhance or had been in search of just a few attention-grabbing swimming quotes, I hope you discovered what you had been in search of.

On the finish of the day, there’s nothing fallacious with in search of an exterior supply of motivation at times while you want it (reminiscent of these swimming quotes), however your true supply of success will likely be present in being disciplined to carry out the identical difficult duties day in and day trip, no matter how you’re feeling.