Royalty in the house! The Carpool Lane with Special Guest (and my hero) Summer Sanders
Swimming Royalty in the house on the Carpool Lane today! I cannot even explain how honored I was that my childhood hero and friend Summer Sanders joined us to chat today.
I grew up watching Summer swim. Watching Summer swim in the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona cemented my dream of one day being an Olympian just like her (she was also the reason I thought I was a butterflier early on in my career!). I remember begging my mom to buy me a holographic suit because Summer was in a Speedo ad wearing one. I believed that if I wore the same suit that Summer wore, I would be able to swim just like her!
Summer had an amazing swimming career, and is now the mom to two athletes. She joined us to share insight on the importance of having fun while competing, and making memories through sports that will last a lifetime. Here are a few of my favorite pieces of advice that Summer shared with us.
Being part of a team is incredibly motivating. Teammates can serve as your fuel during practice and at a meet. Feed off the energy of being part of a team.
Experience meets equally as an experience in the water and also as an opportunity to have fun and create memories that will last a lifetime. There is value in creating those memories.
Take in every moment at competitions. Take in the drive to the pool, walking around the pool deck, what it feels like to put on a fast suit and leave expectations behind. Our best performances come when we take away the pressure that expectations can bring.
Races don’t always go according to plan. When you are going through those tough races or meets ask yourself WHY do you swim, and WHO loves you.
When you race, leave everything in the pool. Everyone hurts at the end of a race, and when that happens, go back to what you practice every day- go back to form.
Parents- let your kids FAIL. Kids need to learn to fail, and it is easier to learn how to fail at a younger age. You have to fail in order to learn.
Hold you children accountable.
If your kids want to take a break, let them take a break. Kids need to be kids and have fun.
Everyone grows at different rates, avoid comparing yourself to anyone else. Keep working hard and wait for your moment to happen- when you put in the work, it WILL happen.
There is value in mental training. Learn how to get a hold of nerves early on. How you do this is by having conversations and analyzing how you feel before a race. Once you have that information you can develop tools that will help you get a handle on your nerves.
Have goals for what you want to do after your athletic career is over.
Don’t be afraid to take risks and venture outside your comfort zone.
Summer, thank you so much for joining us on the Carpool Lane and sharing your experiences as both an athlete and as a parent to athletes. I learned so much during our conversation and continue to look up to you!
If you missed this episode of The Carpool Lane you can watch it here!
