How Ultra Swims Build Resilience: Oceans Seven Challenger, Steve "Moby" Leitch, EP 310

Fewer than 50 people on the planet have completed the Oceans Seven Challenge. Putting that in perspective over 7,000 people have summited Mt. Everest , Steve “Moby” Leitch is one swim away from being in such an elite club. You can train for months and still get humbled in minutes when the ocean decides to change the rules. After swimming the Strait of Gibraltar from Europe to Africa, elite endurance athlete, Steve “Moby” Leitch, joins us to break down what makes ultra marathon open water swimming so unforgiving: funnelled currents where the Atlantic meets the Mediterranean, tight wind restrictions, and real-world hazards like commercial freighters.

Steve is a member of the Greenville Splash Masters in South Carolina and is coached by Carolyn Moore and Leslie Scott.

We also go deeper than one crossing. Steve shares how he returned to swimming after decades away, how 15+ years of sobriety reshaped his definition of strength, and why these Ocean Seven Challenge swims are “sweat equity” that helps fund long-term sobriety living facilities. Along the way we talk about the behind-the-scenes reality that most highlights never show: nausea, cramps, cold water, sleep struggles, and the mental handbrake that tries to pull you out before your body is actually done.

What makes this conversation special is the inspiration and the team element. Steve explains how his wife Kelly supports him on the boat with preparation, feeding, and calm communication under pressure, and why that partnership has strengthened their marriage. If you’re a masters swimmer, triathlete, or anyone searching for practical endurance training advice, you’ll take away a clear framework: train for the worst day, keep your self-talk simple, and anchor every hard stroke to a purpose bigger than the finish.

You'll hear:

• why the Strait of Gibraltar is uniquely hard with currents, wind rules, and shipping traffic
• how Steve returns to swimming after decades away and builds a life around faith, family, and sobriety
• why (Steve's wife) Kelly’s role on the boat matters and how their swim communication strengthens their marriage
• what “endurance” means beyond fitness and how training for worst-case conditions builds it
• how sprint work, strength training, mobility, and sleep support long channel swims
• mental self-talk in the pain cave and the simple reset of one stroke at a time
• English Channel and Cook Strait moments with cramps, sickness, cold, and being pushed off course
• using an honest past to help others through addiction recovery and long-term sobriety housing
• what a champion mindset means when you stop trying to fit in
• the final Ocean Seven target with Catalina and why the next swim is always the hardest

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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