Social Kick

There’s enough space on this planet for everyone. Syrian refugee and 2x Olympic swimmer Yusra Mardini had some of her life’s defining moments depicted in the Netflix film The Swimmers. A member of the inaugural IOC Refugee team, Yusra has become a global figure advocating on behalf of refugees and displaced communities, and through her Yusra Mardini Foundation, helps advance access to sports and education for refugee communities around the world while also helping them excel as they rebuild their lives. Yusra is now enrolled in film school at USC and while competitive swimming has taken a back seat to the many other priorities on her plate, she still makes time to stay fit and enjoy a conversation with some laughs talking about swimming and about life.

Five Olympics and counting! Sprint master Kasia Wilk Wasick returns for another episode to catch us up on the World Cup, where she took the crown for winning the 50m Freestyle at all 3 stops and in the process dialed in her short course race execution that she will carry in the upcoming Short Course World Championships in Budapest. Kasia also shares her experience at the Paris Olympics, where she hoped to win a medal following her bronze medal performance and first time under 24 seconds at the World Championships earlier in the year. The disappointment of not achieving the goal is one many athletes and all humans can relate to, and Kasia provides a great example of how to use those times and benefit from them, as it forced her to reflect on why she swims and to realize the results are only one part of the joy she gets from being an elite competitive swimmer. Kasia is yet another example of elite athletes peaking into their 30s and has no plans to slow down, telling us maybe she has 8 total Olympics to her name when all is said and done. Enjoy and don't forget to subscribe for weekly podcasts and daily shorts!

Friend of the pod and now 2-time Olympic medalist Ilya Kharun returns to catch us up on his massive summer. Last time we spoke with Ilya a year ago he was making waves in his first college dual meets and training with Bob Bowman at Arizona State. A lot has happened since then. The Sun Devils won their first NCAA team championship, Ilya became an individual NCAA champ in the 200 fly, then Bob Bowman left ASU for Texas, leaving Ilya among some of the prominent athletes that had to make a decision about their future during critical months ahead of the Paris Olympics. Ilya decided to remain at ASU and train with now-Head Coach Herbie Behm, and he went on to realize his potential in a huge way at the Olympics, winning matching bronze medals in both the 100 and 200 fly in Paris, both in personal best times in the Olympic finals. Now Ilya is back on campus with the boys and the face of ASU swimming. With some major losses in the transfer portal (Hubert Kos, Owen McDonald, Zalan Sarkany) and the loss of Leon Marchand, many people are counting this year’s Sun Devils out, but Ilya and the squad are motivated and are out to prove the doubters wrong. Enjoy and don't forget to subscribe for weekly podcasts and daily shorts!

Mary-Sophie Harvey is a Canadian Olympian and one of the world’s most versatile swimmers. A two-time Olympian, Mary-Sophie has accomplished a feat that few swimmers do - swimming her best time in the Olympic final. However, for Mary-Sophie it was somewhat bittersweet because she left the Paris Olympics having finished in 4th place in 4 different events. On the positive side, being 4th in the world is amazing, but Mary-Sophie will be hungry for a taste of her first Olympic medal as she looks ahead to Los Angeles 2028. Mary-Sophie has just completed a strong World Cup season with some key wins while showcasing the rare versatility that puts her among the world’s best swimmers in every stroke. Up next are the Short Course World Championships where Mary-Sophie is a threat in so many events, she asked for our opinion on which events she should swim. Enjoy and don't forget to subscribe for weekly podcasts and daily shorts!