Outswim for Masters Swimmers

Kelly Palace, Masters Swimmer
  • 4.9 (125)
  • Swimming
  • Biweekly

Outswim (formerly Champions Mojo)—new name, same great content! The award-winning podcast for Masters swimmers, adult competitors, triathletes, and fitness swimmers who want to outswim the aging curve, outswim the competition and outswim life's obstacles. Hosted by Kelly Palace—Masters Swimming Champion, coach, author, and former NCAA Division I head coach—each episode dives into motivation, training strategies, and the science of athletic longevity. Hear candid conversations with Olympic legends, world champions, sports scientists, and everyday wave makers who prove that passion in the water knows no age limit.  Whether you’re training for your next national championship, setting a personal goal, or stepping onto the blocks for the first time in years, OutSwim champions your pursuit in and out of the water. 

  1. 2d ago

    Cracking the Age Grading Code for Swimming with Dr. Jim Parker, MD, EP 329

    Why is the slowing tick of the pace clock the only metric measuring your athletic worth as you age? Every adult swimmer confronts biological decline down to the mitochondrial level—diminishing V02 max, declining peak power, and loss of muscle mass. Yet for decades, competitive Masters swimming has evaluated your progress against arbitrary five-year age brackets and raw stopwatch times, obscuring your true athletic achievement. In this episode, host Kelly Palace sits down with Outswim Score co-founder Dr. Jim Parker—board-certified radiologist, Cruzbike inventor, and champion endurance athlete—to introduce a revolutionary breakthrough: The Outswim Score (outswim.io). By crunching hundreds of thousands of real-world performances (900,000+) through 22 distinct regression models, Dr. Parker has engineered an age-grading engine that strips away the biological aging tax, establishing true performance equity across age, course, and stroke. Whether you are chasing national records, hunting personal milestones, or wondering how your times measure up against swimmers half your age, this conversation will forever change how you measure success in the water. Inside this episode, you’ll discover: The 0.986 Accuracy Factor: How complex statistical modeling and 22 unique regression curves predict Masters performance baselines with scientific precision.The Universal Swim Score, 0–1,000+ Scale: Why a single number replaces confusing conversions across SCY, SCM, and LCM, giving adult athletes a common language.The "Curve Busters" Phenomenon: What happens when athletes like 85-year-old Joanne Leilich smash predictive models with scores over 1,100, and what "super agers" reveal about human longevity.The Stroke-Specific Aging Tax: Why butterfly suffers the fastest physiological decay as peak explosive power declines, while the 50 freestyle defies expectations.Reverse-Engineering Your Goals: How to use predictive target scoring to find soft records at team, LMSC, and national levels or calculate the exact split required to break an 800 score.A New Era for Meet Directors: How live age-adjusted scoring eliminates empty age heats, levels the blocks between 30-year-olds and 70-year-olds, and creates high-stakes overall championships.Redefining Adult Swimming: Why age grading gives post-collegiate and younger Masters competitors a reason to stay in the water and outswim the clock rather than hanging up their goggles. 🔥 READY TO OUTSWIM YOUR LIMITS? Calculate Your Outswim Score: Head to outswim.io to enter your exact age, stroke, and times for free, track your biological trajectory, and discover your true best events.Connect with the Outswim Ecosystem: Visit KellyPalace.com for episode resources and join the movement dedicated to helping you outswim the age curve, outswim the competition, and outswim life's obstaclesTAKEAWAYS: • why VO2 max, peak power, and fitness decline makes time-only comparisons unfair  • what the OutSwim Score is and how it creates a universal swim score across ages, events, and courses  • why this age grading for swimming relies on deep statistical modeling instead of crude time adjustments  • how to track real progress over years even when race times get slower  • how to find your strongest event by score, not by guesswork  • how to reverse-engineer a target score into a goal time  • why five-year age brackets can distort motivation and how single-year scoring fixes it  • how super agers and 1,000+ scores spotlight “curve busters” worth studying  • how meet managers can run live scoring and give awards for best age-adjusted swims  • where to calculate your score for free at outswim.io while the tool is in beta  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 and/or find out more about the host at www.KellyPalace.com. Opinions discussed are not medical advice, please seek a medical professional for your own health concerns.

    Cracking the Age Grading Code for Swimming with Dr. Jim Parker, MD, EP 329

  2. Oct 26

    How to Swim at 93 with 7 Heart Stents: Olympic Champion Yoshi Oyakawa, EP 328

    What does it actually take to outswim the biological aging clock when your body, joints, or cardiovascular system start pushing back? How does an athlete continue getting up on the starting blocks well into their 90s after serious heart procedures? Yes, I confirmed Yoshi said he has 7 stents.  In this episode, we sit down on the pool deck with 1952 Olympic Gold Medalist and Masters Swimmer Yoshi Oyakawa. At 93 years old, Yoshi is living proof of lifelong athletic longevity. But his secret isn't reckless grit or grinding through pain—it’s an ongoing masterclass in adapting your training, listening to your body, and completely reframing your relationship with competition. Whether you’re recovering from a medical setback, fighting shoulder stiffness, or wondering how many more years you have in the pool, Yoshi breaks down the daily philosophy and training shifts required to stay fast, healthy, and on the blocks for life. Inside this episode, you’ll discover: The Cardiovascular Boundary: How Yoshi structures his 600–700-meter workouts to stay fit without triggering breathlessness or cardiovascular overload.The Shoulder Longevity Choice: Why Yoshi refused to adopt modern stroke fads—and how sticking to his natural biomechanics preserved his upper body for over eight decades.The Pre-Race Mindset Reset: The subtle mental prayer shift Yoshi made that immediately cured race-day anxiety and unlocked peak performance behind the blocks.The Power Base Secret: The unconventional childhood dryland routine that built Yoshi’s legendary kick power and sustained his speed late in life.The Modern Technique Trap: The biggest equipment and stroke evolutions Yoshi has witnessed over 70+ years of racing—and which technical factors actually matter as you age.The Century Mark Goal: Yoshi’s mindset on competing into the 95–99 age bracket, and the pact he made with fellow Olympic legends to race at age 100.Email us and/or find out more about the host at www.KellyPalace.com. Opinions discussed are not medical advice, please seek a medical professional for your own health concerns.

    How to Swim at 93 with 7 Heart Stents: Olympic Champion Yoshi Oyakawa, EP 328

  3. Oct 17 ·  Bonus

    3-Minute Scoop! Champions Mojo is Now OUTSWIM for Masters Swimmers

    Big news friends! Champions Mojo for Masters Swimmers is officially changing the name to the Outswim Podcast for Masters Swimmers. After eight incredible years, over 325 episodes, 9 podcasting awards, and more than 1 million downloads, we are officially evolving into Outswim for Masters Swimmers. What does it mean to Outswim? It’s more than dropping tenths of a second on the clock. It’s what happens when you dive in and choose to keep moving forward, we can: Outswim the age-curve: As we age our aerobic capacity, VO2 Max, growth hormones, recovery windows all shift. We'll cover ways to still thrive against the biological aging tax.Outswim the competition: The "competition" can be yourself or others, but we love to cover topics that make us better swimmers no matter who we are competing against.Outswim life's obstacles: Pushing past time away from the water, injury, illness, fear, grief, and trauma.What You Need to Know: No action needed: Your subscription, show feed, and back catalog remain completely intact. You don’t have to change a single setting in your podcast app!Same championship content: Expect the same deep-dive interviews with world-class coaches and Olympic champions, practical training takeaways, and weekly pool-deck inspiration. And most importantly how to swim better as we age.New digital home: Explore our fresh look and episode library at outswimpodcast.com (all previous links forward automatically).In this special announcement, host Kelly Palace shares the heart, purpose, and deeper meaning behind our new name. When we launched in 2018, our mission was to bring you the mindset and mojo of champions. Over nearly a decade, we discovered that our most impactful conversations weren’t just about winning races—they were about how swimmers overcome life’s toughest obstacles. To every listener who made those 1 million downloads possible—thank you. This evolution is for you. Keep training, and let’s go outswim whatever holds us back! Connect with the Show: Website: outswimpodcast.comFollow & Subscribe: If you love the show, please leave a quick rating or review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify!Email us and/or find out more about the host at www.KellyPalace.com. Opinions discussed are not medical advice, please seek a medical professional for your own health concerns.

    3-Minute Scoop! Champions Mojo is Now OUTSWIM for Masters Swimmers

  4. Oct 8

    When A Fit Swimmer Has A Stroke with All-American Swimmer and PT, Margaret Conze, EP 327

    We talk with All-American masters swimmer and physical therapist, 55-year-old Margaret Conze, about the day she suffered a sudden stroke at a swim meet despite being in peak shape, and the split-second choice to call 911 that got her life-saving treatment in time. We also dig into the hidden causes behind unexpected health events in active adults, how she returned to racing even stronger, and what masters swimmers can do to train hard while staying health-aware. The subtle first warning signs at the pool—and why embarrassment cannot win in a medical crisisTrusting your gut when something feels off and insisting on immediate emergency careVisual changes, strange body sensations, and one-sided weakness as urgent red flagsHow a standard home blood pressure cuff can serve as a quick reality checkThe unexpected cardiac finding behind her stroke that affects up to 25% of peopleThe "golden window": what it takes to stop neurological damage in real timeThe psychological and physical path from the ICU back to national top timesStrength training essentials every masters swimmer needs for long-term joint healthUsing physical therapy as proactive maintenance rather than injury reactionHand paddles and shoulder risk: why you can’t judge the strain until 24 to 48 hours laterWould 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 and/or find out more about the host at www.KellyPalace.com. Opinions discussed are not medical advice, please seek a medical professional for your own health concerns.

    When A Fit Swimmer Has A Stroke with All-American Swimmer and PT, Margaret Conze, EP 327

  5. Sep 28

    How To Break the One Pace "Gray Zone" with Brenton Ford, Effortless Swimming Founder, EP 326

    Are you logging thousands of yards each week only to watch your pace stay frozen in time? Most masters swimmers and triathletes fall into the same trap: they try to engineer their stroke into looking smooth and effortless, yet they find themselves stuck grinding out laps at a single, unchanging speed. In this episode, we sit down with Brenton Ford, the mastermind behind Effortless Swimming. Having coached thousands of athletes worldwide—from beginners to elite triathletes and national champions—Brenton reveals the fundamental disconnect between how adults think about freestyle and what actually generates forward propulsion. If you’ve ever felt awkward trying new drills, wondered why pool-deck critiques don’t translate into faster race splits, or felt guilty resting at the wall, this conversation will completely reframe your approach to training. In this episode, we explore: The Adult Learning Bottleneck: The single psychological obstacle adult swimmers bring to the pool that kids never face—and the simple drill to rewire it.The "Pretty Stroke" Fallacy: Why an obsession with smooth, splash-free recoveries could actually be sabotaging your power under the surface.Finding Your "Lost" Gears: Why relying on a single training pace locks you into the "gray zone," and how subtle kick timing adjustments unlock true sprinting ability.The Rest Paradox: Why cutting your rest short between sets may be the exact reason your top-end speed has plateaued.The 40-Minute Threshold Blueprint: The exact "best average" set Brenton used to qualify for Australian Open Nationals at age 38 against teenagers—and why elite distance Olympians swear by it.Why Technique Changes Feel Worse First: The uncomfortable biological truth every swimmer needs to accept before real speed breakthroughs happen.Connect with Brenton: Website: Effortless SwimmingYouTube & Instagram: @effortlessswimmingEmail us and/or find out more about the host at www.KellyPalace.com. Opinions discussed are not medical advice, please seek a medical professional for your own health concerns.

    How To Break the One Pace "Gray Zone" with Brenton Ford, Effortless Swimming Founder, EP 326

  6. Sep 17

    How to Adapt When Your Body Rebels: Olympic Legend Amy Van Dyken on Extreme Resilience, EP 325

    What do you do when the body that carried you to Olympic Legend Status changes in the blink of an eye? How do you stop comparing yourself to the athlete you used to be and build unshakeable mental resilience in the face of life-altering obstacles? In this episode, six-time Olympic gold medalist Amy Van Dyken sits down with Kelly Palace to share how she completely redefined her identity, athletic drive, and relationship with her body after a traumatic 2014 ATV accident left her paralyzed from the waist down. Amy reveals how she transitioned from Olympic sprinter to adaptive CrossFit champion, why comparing your present times to your past self is a recipe for frustration, and the practical mental reframing technique she uses to turn paralyzing race-day nerves into pure excitement. Whether you are navigating an injury, battling an aging body, or seeking the grit to conquer daily setbacks, Amy provides the ultimate blueprint for choosing joy, grace, and relentless forward momentum. Inside this episode, you’ll discover: Adapting When Your Body Rebels: How Amy shifted from Olympic sprint dominance to floating and finding peace in the pool with paralyzed legs and minimal core.Ending the "Old Times" Comparison Trap: Why measuring your current performance against your younger self drains the joy from swimming—and how to give your body grace at every stage.Reframing Pre-Race Nerves: The physiological trick to turn racing anxiety into explosive excitement behind the starting blocks.Why Swimming Keeps Getting Faster: Amy’s expert perspective as an NBC Olympic analyst on training quality over junk yardage, hydrodynamics, and modern sprinting speed.The Training Shift That Saved Her Career: How leaving high-volume yardage for speed work and fun at Colorado State helped her claim four Olympic gold medals in 1996.The Power of Daily Micro-Wins: How conquering small, frustrating tasks builds true athletic resilience and gratitude on hard days.Channeling Competitive Fire: How Amy took her sprint drive to adaptive CrossFit and became the second-fittest seated woman on Earth in her mid-40s.Email us and/or find out more about the host at www.KellyPalace.com. Opinions discussed are not medical advice, please seek a medical professional for your own health concerns.

    How to Adapt When Your Body Rebels: Olympic Legend Amy Van Dyken on Extreme Resilience, EP 325

  7. Sep 10

    Protect Your Knees and Hips: Helen Gorman on World-Record Breaststroke Longevity, EP 324

    Breaststroke is notorious for sidelining adult swimmers with groin, hip, and knee strain. But what if joint degradation isn't an inevitable part of competitive aging? How do you step away from the sport for 13 years, return at age 40, and capture 13 World Aquatics Masters titles and nine individual world records—all while racing the most joint-punishing stroke on the program? In this episode, City of Cardiff, Wales, UK, swimmer and Freestyle Media Podcast host Helen Gorman joins Kelly Palace to reveal the training routines and mobility habits that preserve joint health in the 50–54 age group. Helen breaks down why breaststrokers can't rely on in-water yards alone, how she maintains pace alongside teenagers without burnout, and the weekly volume balance required to keep joints functioning at an elite level. Inside this episode, you’ll discover: The 20-Minute Joint Armor Habit: Why showing up early for mandatory dryland mobility, foam rolling, and hip activation is non-negotiable for long-term breaststroke health.The 13-Year Layoff Reset: How Helen avoided the frustration trap at age 40 by starting the clock over and setting realistic targets within 5-year age bands.Surviving "Butting Kicking with the Kids": The tactical boundaries of swimming with elite youth squads—and why Helen avoids double workouts to preserve recovery.The 200 Breast Back-End Blueprint: Helen’s go-to broken sets and race-pace repeats to build holding power on the final 50 meters.Technique Over Brute Force: Why elite Masters longevity comes down to holding water rather than muscling through fatigue.The UK Breaststroke Legacy: Cultural coaching insights from the home of Olympic champions David Wilkie and Adam Peaty.Email us and/or find out more about the host at www.KellyPalace.com. Opinions discussed are not medical advice, please seek a medical professional for your own health concerns.

    Protect Your Knees and Hips: Helen Gorman on World-Record Breaststroke Longevity, EP 324

  8. Aug 31

    When Panic Attacks During A Swim Meet with Geffen Chang, EP 323

    If you've ever battled crippling race anxiety, felt air-starved mid-race, or wondered how to fall back in love with swimming, this on-deck conversation with 25-year-old coach and former collegiate swimmer Geffen Chang is a must-listen. Geffen opens up about overcoming panic attacks in the 400 IM, his go-to stretch for breaststroke groin pain, and the mental shift that helped him step onto the blocks purely for himself. Inside this episode, you’ll discover: Race-Day Panic Attacks & Air Hunger: Geffen addresses mid-race hyperventilation, anxiety, and the feeling of choking during grueling events (like the 400 IM and 200 Fly), sharing how mental self-talk ("I'm going to be okay") and high practice repetition desensitize fear.Post-College Burnout & Lost Motivation: Offers a blueprint for transitioning from rigid collegiate expectations (swimming for times/coaches) to Masters swimming for personal joy, autonomy, and fulfillment.Breaststroke Groin Pain & Tightness: Provides a specific pre-race mobility stretch (wide sumo squat with lateral shifts) to release hip and adductor tension before getting on the blocks.Event Overwhelm & Multi-Race Endurance: Demonstrates how to mentally approach a heavy, multi-event meet lineup (including long-distance events like the 1500m) as a test of will and celebration of racing rather than pressure for perfection. If this resonates, subscribe to Champions Mojo, share the episode with a swim buddy, and leave us a review so more masters swimmers can find it. Thank you for listening! Email us and/or find out more about the host at www.KellyPalace.com. Opinions discussed are not medical advice, please seek a medical professional for your own health concerns.

    When Panic Attacks During A Swim Meet with Geffen Chang, EP 323
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4.9
out of 5
125 Ratings

About

Outswim (formerly Champions Mojo)—new name, same great content! The award-winning podcast for Masters swimmers, adult competitors, triathletes, and fitness swimmers who want to outswim the aging curve, outswim the competition and outswim life's obstacles. Hosted by Kelly Palace—Masters Swimming Champion, coach, author, and former NCAA Division I head coach—each episode dives into motivation, training strategies, and the science of athletic longevity. Hear candid conversations with Olympic legends, world champions, sports scientists, and everyday wave makers who prove that passion in the water knows no age limit.  Whether you’re training for your next national championship, setting a personal goal, or stepping onto the blocks for the first time in years, OutSwim champions your pursuit in and out of the water. 

Information

  • Creator
    Kelly Palace, Masters Swimmer
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    329
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Outswim for Masters Swimmers
  • Show Website
    Outswim for Masters Swimmers

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