Mollie O'Callaghan

0:00What's up everybody? Welcome back to another week and another episode of Unfiltered Waters. And we are back to regularly scheduled programming. Hope that you enjoyed the last couple weeks of our Pampak series. I am so fortunate for the team of Elizabeth Beisel and my husband Todd Anderson for capturing all of that. Cut it a little close. We literally had our child four hours after Todd landed home from California. So that was crazy. Unexpected had Andy a week earlier than expected induction. But all worked out. We captured the interviews and now we're going to be starting a little Australian series. I am not able to travel until the end of this month. Don't worry. I'm getting back out there as soon as humanly

1:03possible and stay tuned for that. But in the meantime, we've got a few weeks of our incredible athletes over down under and we kick it off with the one and only Molly O'Callahan. Molly is returning to the pod. If you don't know, you should. She is an Olympic champion. She is a world champion. She is a world record holder and she is one of the funniest people that I believe has come on the podcast. And she's just so unapologetically herself. And what I love about Molly is she's also gone through some really hard times and continues to keep such a positive attitude throughout. Now Molly would say, you know, no, like, you know, I struggle and I'm just like everybody else and she does. And I think that's just the gem there of you can struggle, but you can also keep a positive attitude and be really honest. And the two can exist and the two can both be true. And Molly had to pull out of Pam Pax because

2:05up at back injury. And so she was talking to me actually not having been in the water for a couple of weeks. And I think was going a little bit stir crazy. But it was just really fun to hear about, you know, her journey to 2028, how she's really managed the pressure and what it feels like to come off of being an Olympic champion and then moving into the year after and what that's like. And yeah, I could have talked to her for two, three hours. But I had to run. She had to run. And, you know, I'm just very proud of the conversation that we had because I've said this before and I'll say it again, like it doesn't matter if you're a summer, if you're an athlete, if you have a job, anything that requires performance is going to come with pressure and nerves and anxiety. And Molly is a huge advocate for that. And I just love the way that she talks about it in the way that she phrases things in the way that it hits, you know, everyone says it differently. And it really hits with

3:07me in particular. So talked about that. Did some really, really fun rapid fire. And I promise this is this one's going to make you smile. It's going to make you laugh and just think a little bit and think about how you processed nerves in your own life and who you, you know, turn to in those moments. And I think it's, I think it's really, really important that we continue to have these conversations. So without further ado, enjoy my conversation. With Molly O'Callion. Hello everybody. Welcome to my endless pool. Treadmill edition. So I'm going to walk you through a normal 30 minute treadmill workout that I have been doing my entire pregnancy. So I'm a little remote. I hit power. Comes on. And then I can control the speed literally just from these arrows. And it's been actually one of my favorite features behind just swimming. And I feel like one because it's taking off all of the pressure on my joints and my belly and in my pregnant situation. If you're someone that's rehabbing, if you're

4:10someone's that's maybe a little bit older and just doesn't want to put that type of stress on your body when you're doing a walk or doing a run, the endless pool treadmill solves all of that. I just can't speak highly enough about how much this has helped me in my pregnancy, be able to move. And the resistance of the water, I'm going to not be able to talk in a second. Just wanted to highlight one of the incredible features of the endless pool. Use the link to get a thousand dollars off your purchase and give your body what it needs. Molly O'Callion, welcome back to unfiltered waters. Thank you for having me. Honestly, I'm so excited. So excited. And I have to say compliment to you. I am 15 days postpartum right now. And I thought like who is the best, most laid back person fun conversation to do that with? And I was like, it's Molly. So thank you for being that energy for me. Honestly, Curtis, please help out. Especially 15 days postpartum. That's huge.

5:16Thank you. Yeah, I mean, baggy dresses are my best friend. And that's where I can go with. But enough about me. I just feel like there's so much to cover. I know the decision for you to pull out of Pampax was probably a really, really hard one. So I just want to hear how's rehab going? How was it watching Pampax? And just how are you mentally? Oh, look, like the past few weeks have been really boring. I'm not going to lie. I'm so used to being stimulated all the time, swimming gym, like doing everything. So it's been quite hard to kind of do nothing. I've been very eager to get back into it. But at the same time, I've been thinking, okay, it's not the best thing. If I want to have a good season, I need to let my body rest. Like watching Pampax, to be honest, I didn't watch the actual racing. It's very hard to watch it when you know that you could have been there. But I tried my best to stay and check all the results

6:16and make sure like everyone's doing well, making sure I congratulate everyone and support everyone. Because I had like 13 other squad members there. So to watch their journey, get to that point was quite cool. So I wanted to be able to support them, especially if I'm not there. But I would say it's been a very difficult choice to pull out. You know, like I think yourself and many others would be like, you put in a difficult decision and you know, you love this sport so much and you've dedicated so much time to it. And you're like, I don't want that time to go and be wasted. When in reality, it's not wasted. It's really like you've done the season, you've done the work, it's actually for LA. Right. So what was a hard part was really like finding out pre-tiles that I wouldn't be able to do trials for me's Pampax. And I was just gutted like I was like, if there's a way for me to do it safely and modified, then I'm going to try and do that. So Dean and I,

7:24my coach and I have a great supporting behind me. So we decided to you know, go see someone, a specialist and see his thoughts behind it. And he was like, look, yeah, like I've got stress fractions with my back and I know a lot of people have opinions about that. I'm sorry, I got stuck in the truck. But he was like, if we checked, like he, we set up a program and everything and we showed him and we're like, okay, like can we check in multiple times before I leave for commis? And this was post trials. He was like, pretty much, you can do trials, it's so close. I don't think another week of work's going to hurt you in reality and just be smart about trials and pick the things that you think are worth it. I came back from trials and was okay, like we'll see him again. And I had like three other meetings with him on the way to commis. So I think like having that there and then my coach and my support team maybe feel like I was supported and that I could do it. It was just more of the factor of listening to my body and I think

8:30that commis. I drove in the water for my first race and I was like, I couldn't switch gears, couldn't like, I just went one mode and that was it. So, Deena and I were like, we'll re-evaluate after each race. And then it kind of was like, I'm not getting any better. I don't feel like myself. My body is the referral pain and into everything was not the greatest and it was not getting worse. Like I would say, it was just a different type of pain and it was just evolving. But the doctor and all of that said, I can't do any more damage. It was just the referral pain that got to the point. And I think it was just mentally very taxing to keep helping up and keep doing that. So many emotions kind of going through my mind when I hear all of that. It's like, how hard was it to have the doctor say, you can't make it worse? It's just kind of how much you can tolerate the pain. Is that accurate? Like I feel like that almost to an elite athlete when they're like, just go by, listen to your body and you're like,

9:37I'm trained to do the opposite. How did you manage that in your psyche? Yeah, it's crazy to think like this sport and in sport in general, your job is to tolerate pain and be comfortable with the uncomfortable. And I'm very good at just pushing through and I'm very bad at not doing the recovery, like I do recovery, right? But like not to think things easy when it's going to be easy. And like to hear that, yeah, it was like the fractures. He was like, oh, look, you can't make the fractures, fractures worse, which I was like, oh, thank God. That's great. Perfect. Yeah. I was like, that's great. I'm waiting on that end. But he was like, you just got to do things in training and everything. Like just listen to the referral pain. If it's getting worse, then maybe know your limits. And it was just the, you know, the bone stress, factories, probably the one where it's like, you want to dial that down as much as you can. And so I like in training sessions, it was really, we got to comey like, Germany and commies.

10:43And the travel really hurt me. I'm not going to lie. Especially coming from Australia and then that knock on effect. So I just found that I was in training. It was a little bit different. And I knew there was tolerances to things like dives. Dives was probably the one that got me the most. So I just tried to evolve each session and each race to be like, okay, I can't do this properly. Where can I fix this? Or if I can't do this, where can I fix my recovery? Where can I do this? And I think for myself, it was like a learning experience. So I kind of wanted to go into this and be like, well, I'm going to try a different process. Like I'm going to be open to a new process. You got who knows if that could have worked this whole process for the next season. I dropped a training session and I did, I moved to my regular gym sessions around my bike sessions. Like all the things around it. And I think my whole thing was like, okay, if I can learn something

11:46from this, like then that's a win. And if I can do this modified, then that's win. So I think there's so many aspects that like yes, there's cons and there's pros. But in the reality, I don't think I regret doing it, even if there was like, yeah, like maybe the potential of making the stress bones stress a bit worse. But I knew like when I get back to Australia or I can pull the pin on any of these mates that I can somehow remember and I got a good team behind me that can get me back to like, I guess my feminist. Right. And like you said, yeah, Pam packs in the short term, it's like, oh, you know, it's a bummer should not be there with your team and representing Australia. But at the same time, like LA is LA, like LA is the goal. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, like you think of it as like Pam packs is a stepping stone towards LA. And that's how I always think it like each me is a stepping stone towards LA. And like there's experience and there's learning things from it that you can get

12:50from it and progress. So I'm always very eager to chuck myself into it. And I think I learned from last cycle, it's like always trying to embrace it. And I'm very stubborn at times and I'm trying to not be as stubborn and go with that mentality of just chuck yourself in the deep end like at the end of the day, you're doing it with not like because. And I think a lot of people are going, oh, I did one 54, like say I did the one 54 because I got like stress fractures that's lamenting me from like doing my best. But I'm like, well, I'm doing it with. And like that's crazy considering all of that. It's a good step in the right direction. I know that like I'm able to step up regardless if there's something chucked at me. So I think for myself, it gives the confidence to be like, well, I've had past injuries. Oh god, I've had so many. I'm not going to lie. And I think that was the hard part for me is like every season there's been something. And it's been really hard to be like, when's my season without something? And I'm just going to be like,

13:55well, this is what I've been given. I've just got to work with it, try and work around it, try and strengthen my weaknesses. Maybe it's an opportunity to do something. Good for you. I mean, that's yeah, easier said than done. I mean, I commend you. And yeah, by the way, one 54 with freaking stress fractures in your back is legendary. So your flowers on that I saw that I was like, oh, wow, you know, that's that's got to make you feel probably silver lining, right? Because it's like you, of course, you want to go best time. But to be able to do that and prove that to yourself is is pretty incredible. I want to go into some of the the recovery modalities and things you've been doing. I don't think this was maybe out there the last time we talked, but I didn't know that you slept in an altitude 10. Do you know I did that for six years, like way back in the day? Really? Yes. It's like, it's like, oh, we've got to go to Flagstaff to Arizona to go do altitude and all that. So like the altitude had so like,

14:58nifty in a way that it's convenient. And like you can still train at like a normal level, but then go back into your like little dungeon and go right there for like hours. It's so rough. I because I haven't really done altitude that much previously. And this season it was like, well, post world cups. We went into the altitude at Flagstaff. And then we're like, okay, that was kind of a base level where we're like, oh, learning how to do it. And then it was like in the season, Dean was like, okay, I want you to try the altitude 10, see if it works for you. And I was like, oh, my God, this sucks. Like sitting three weeks in there. I don't know how you did that for six years. Well, so I guess, do you, so you just sit in it during the, because I slept in it. I wasn't as much during the day and less for naps. But yeah, I would sleep at altitude, which no one talks about the terror in your bladder when you have to pee and like the zipper gets stuck.

16:02Do you like the thing is the suppressor pain so painful like everything. And you're going to make sure it's tucked in there. And you can't let any air out. And like if you're going back and forth and you're like, oh, my God, I forgot something. I need to grab something from the tent. See, it was so hard because yeah, like ours was like, you have to try and stay in there as much as possible and try and rack up as many hours. And okay, it's so boring. It's so boring. But like, you could just go, okay, it's got a purpose. Like, I've got to continue it. And like, it works in the long run. I know each person has like a different effect from it. And like depends on the training block. And it's just crazy to think like we try and get 300 hours. And it's like you sleep in that you sit in there. Some people even eat in there. I'm not, that's a no-no for me. I'm like, it gets too smelly. Do you feel like it's made a big difference? It has. It depends on the training block. But I think I'm still trying to work it out. I think that's a hard part. Is it

17:04very much trial and error? And you've got to kind of see what time and training block works best for you. And like, what's the best stimulus? So like the flag stuff one, I don't think like, I think it was a bit difficult coming off world cups and going from like very high intensity speed stuff to more like aerobic and long distance. And all of that. So I found it didn't work probably as best for me there. I don't know. It was just a big switch up at the start of the season. I did one and my altitude tank was working as much. But I still like got something from it. And then I did it again. Pre-a Darwin camp. And I found that worked very, very well for me. But I was just dead afterwards. And that was like the three weeks. So I did three weeks there. And then we did three weeks in Darwin. And then we went to like a week and a half before trials. Like that was kind of like the spacing of it. So I know a lot of swimmers have been adding into

18:10their programs. And it's something like, I kind of want to continue and maybe work it out and see which which blocks best for me. But I think it's such a gray zone kind of weird. I don't know. It works and it doesn't work. And sometimes you feel it. Sometimes we won't feel it. So yeah, I was really dead after the the the block. I was like, oh, cooked. So cooked. Yeah, it's it's hard. And I actually was something I'm so relieved it's happening now. I feel like when I was doing it, people thought I was such a freak. And so like now I was like 20 years ago. So I feel like nowadays like that just becoming kind of the norm to go above and beyond for recovery things like that. So it's it's awesome. And like I think the biggest thing was regular people don't understand it. And they don't have an idea of what it is. So like I got a lot of things like why you got a tent in your room? Why can't being in your room? And I'm like, oh, it's an Anttronic explainer and technical terms. And I'm like, I don't even really understand myself. And I'm like,

19:10trying to explain it. And I'm like, it's not going to make any sense. Yeah, you're like, just I'm in the tent. It helps me just accept me for me. Basically, it's what I said. Well, cool. So yeah, you mentioned early about there's 13 of your squad that were there. And you got I mean, you guys rocked it out. Obviously, I'm team USA, but I have to give Australia their flowers. You guys crush it. What is practice like on a day to day? I mean, are you are you someone that's like a great practice swimmer and you're like killing everybody or are you someone who kind of has to be challenged every single day by somebody, one of those 13 athletes, to really get the best out of you. I think it's great like having so many people in the squad and at so many different levels and doing different events. I think I really value that because I know if in training, if I need a different stimulus or if I need training with like, you know, my friend, I can go with someone else or if I need more distance work, I could go with Lonnie.

20:11And that's a cool part. Like, I think with Dean, he's a mastermind with how he works it all out. We've got so many different squads and groups within the one squad, which is crazy. We've got like an open water. We got distance and then we've got like that four 800 200 kind of distance and then we got mid distance than sprint and then there's like pure sprint. So it's just wild to see how many squads, but we all work together and I think like for myself, I and like Dean has to calm me down. I go, oh, I'm just going to rip in and like I am very much, I work a bit too hard sometimes and I do lose track of the purpose behind some of the things like I do need to go a little bit easier on the recovery sessions on like, nah, nah, nah, this is on with the king going and I'm a bit of a stress head behind that like it's yeah, I'm on 24 seven and might not be like I'm swimming fast, but I'm just like giving it my all and which is you need to be like I think

21:13no matter at the percentage, like say if I'm at 80% I'm going to get 100% up that. Sorry, I always try my best in each session and I do get like a little bit flustered and a little bit like I grow like I'm like nah, we're going to go do this, we're going to go fast, but it's nice like I get to verse so many different people in training and like they all have strengths and weaknesses and like we go all work off each other which is very nice when you have a bigger squad. I do think like like I do like training with some of the boys and it's great to like verse some because I know at the end of the day like if I can get close to them maybe like you know it's going to help with my race. So I'm always eager to kind of just verse anyone who's faster than me or like no matter who it is, I'm like oh yeah it's a great challenge and I think everyone is very professional at St. Peter's, we hold each other to very high standards and I think that's what creates such a great environment. Everyone's very positive, they're willing to do the hard work

22:18at the end of the day so I know like that I'm always going to get listed in each session and we always going to push each other so I think it's really nice having an environment like that. Yeah I mean I feel like that is the magic of having so many good people. I've also seen it where you know people are like oh my god it's like you have to bring your egg in every single day but knowing you of what I know of you like that's an amazing thing for you because you're just going to feed off the energy. What are some things Dean has to say to you to calm you down and how do you receive that? It's hard from time to time like I think he gives up at some point because it doesn't go through my head I'm like no we're going to stay at this pace um yeah like to sit and pace or like eight three of me's like well I just calm down just take it a bit so I just go easier like go look at the soul mate I'm like yeah yeah yeah um like I sometimes I'll try and sometimes I'm worried and then I just stay at the same time and I'm like he's like he's like

23:21Molly like come on um so I think before he used to be like yeah just just keep going like just keep going just just give it up it's like just go just be well and I think for myself like I've been within the squad since 2019 um and it's very good Dean like knows how I work how I operate um like I'm very like not nervous trainer but like just very on it like I'm always thinking I've got to go above them beyond sometimes and um he knows that works for me and he just sometimes lets me be if that's gonna help me mentally or physically anything so that's gonna be the benefit of it um but sometimes he's like that's not the purpose of this hit but I'm like this is what what it's for so he pretty much explains it to me why I be doing this and then I go okay okay okay okay okay okay I'll go back to that um but yeah like I think it's really nice to have him be a part of my journey since I was like 14 years old um and just understanding how I operate and let it be sometimes

24:25but holding me accountable and then pulling me back um so I really like do appreciate the like you know the communication between us and his honesty so I try my best from times time but I do lose sight of just going for it um and I think he knows like if I'm having an obsession like it's not that I'm not trying it's just purely because I'm like dead so I think that's kind of nice he knows that's how I operate I don't think there's a session where I just don't care um and like he always knows if there's something wrong like it's it's serious I don't think I'm the type of person to ever complain if there is a problem or like complain unnecessarily like just for the sake of getting out of something so I think he knows how I operate and how I tick very well and what gets me going in a training session and what kind of pulls me back but I think we're still kind of learning and I think after um this injury too and like that whole training block like for myself

25:29it was definitely a learning curve where I've been like I need to take it more chill women it's chill and prioritizing the recovery when it's recovery so I think sometimes it's just me going through phases like this to actually learn um a lot of time you can like tell someone but it's like actually the whole yet it's really hard it's it's hard and then just the reality of getting older is just sucks like you're just like you can't recover the same way you want to sprint I mean when you're you know when you're 17 years old you can sprint everything you recover the next day and it's like wooh and then just as you get older it's just that harsh reality of like dang I I gotta gotta care for my body and and not just run through a brick wall every time it's hard it's so hard it's so hard because you've got to leave on your experience at the end of the day and that's something I've learned is like oh my god I can't recover the same but I have so much experience from the past that I know how to work it and how to click into that experience a bit more so I've

26:32thought I kind of trust that process more than like being like I can't recover I'm like okay my body's not the same as it was but you know I do have the experience from it to kind of work it for the future exactly exactly I want to talk about you know your mental health you've been such an advocate of just just being so vulnerable about anxiety and I will never forget this clip I think I reposted it on my own social media of you last year right around this time just having a full just meltdown and like but in like this very like it touched me like I would like I was emotional watching it because it was just so raw and real and and it's what so many athletes feel after an Olympic year of just like the pressure of you win an Olympic gold medal and suddenly now everyone's like win win win win win always always always and that's a lot so how are you from a year ago how have you progressed to your mental health and state as it stands right now yeah I would

27:39say it's very taxing like I think coming off a Olympic year I had a huge break and then the first week of training I dislocated by me and that was pretty like bad and I just didn't have the training behind me to kind of pick up through the season and I was just behind and I was like oh my god I have continue the streak and I have to continue getting better and progressing my time in those goals that I wanted and I just felt like there was so much going on but I just was not there and it was just like again like I chuck myself into the me I know I'm capable of doing it but I was like oh my god going into a meet with no training and an injury and stuff like that um and just not having the best season uh it was just very hard to do and I just was like I did the two free and I was just so nervous before it at trial at that trial and I was like oh my god like I didn't know if I was going to be able to like do a decent time like I feel like there was so much pressure especially from myself to kind of be like what I was previously and then trying to step up and I feel like a lot of people

28:43don't understand the story behind things they always just think in my head I always just perceive that people think that there's like no matter what curve balls or your training or whatever is thrown at you you have to always be at your best you can't really have any lows and swimming is the kind of sport where it's very much like you don't talk about your injuries you don't talk about like the training behind it and your season and all that and you know I'm really allowed to have lows everyone expects you to kind of always be on a high always performing at it international me always like getting a PB and stuff and especially after you win it's like well what's next and I think for myself yeah it's like oh like I've kind of realized you know I'm like I've done everything possible like in my career like like winning the Olympics like everyone would dream of that like I've broken an individual record like even though like the 200 it's gone now but

29:44that's still an achievement in itself so I'm like I've done things and I think I always lose like lose sight because I'm like oh my god everyone else is doing so well and like I feel like I have to keep up with them but it's like oh I'm my own person like I'm doing my own event like I've got to kind of redirect myself and I think this season I'm like from Olympics to this season like I see aside every week I think that's been very helpful I'm the type of person who bottles things up and then just blows like just has a big blow up and it could be like the littlest thing that sets me off so I think just having that weakly being like I can rent when I'm one I can go back to processes I can work on how to deal with things especially like I think everyone knows like I'm a nervous racist so many others so many others are very much with nervous races they just show in a different way mine's very you can see it and just how to embrace the nerves and just acknowledge it and just accept it and be like okay this is part of my process how do I get the best from it I

30:48don't think it's gonna you know debilitate me and I've learnt from past experiences like Olympic trials was the worst one I've ever experienced and that just made me so tense for my race and I just didn't feel like myself in the race and I was like well I'm glad it happened to trials not Olympics so I think for myself it's just having the perception and just like redirecting the focus and being like well it's not bad it's just a different path and you know I could learn from that so I think for myself it's just like just embracing it and just looking at it in a different way and just re-wording it because I think we all go to the negative straight away instead of being like okay like yeah it's pretty shit not gonna lie but you know there's positives that can come from it so this season like it's definitely been a big mental blow to like I wouldn't say I've I've dealt with it better than past seasons um that thing that's because I've got such a good support

31:50team and I'm more able to communicate with them and be a lot more vulnerable like I'm vulnerable with everyone right now but like more in depth um and just very more personal so I think being able to do that and them support me and they go okay how do we work around that then I feel more comfortable than able to get the best out of myself so and like even being able to speak up like I used to just be able to be like okay well just do whatever you guys think and then being like no this is what I actually want and then that gives me a peace of mind so I think it's just a whirlwind of so many things and so like little bits going on that I'm trying to you know focus on and then it just makes I guess the whole picture even better so I think there's so many little aspects that you've got to go behind and really work back to and being like okay I've got to fix this from the get go or it's not gonna be better and it takes such a long time I'm not gonna lie it takes

32:51ages and I think it's like you're still gonna go through it throughout your career and that's the part it's like you can't get rid of those things like you've just got to work away around it or just embrace it or acknowledge it so I think like at the end of the day it's like you've got to surround yourself with people who understand you but you're also going to be very open with them yeah I that's so so accurate and it's one of the hardest things I think to accept right you're like okay so I'm gonna get all this help and I'm just gonna address it and then it's just gonna be fix forever and you like I'm gonna press this magic button and it's just like you know you take it you're right here you take it moment by moment but I think you nailed it like having multiple different people for different aspects this never just one thing right it's it's multiple things that can kind of add up what I'm curious with your sports bike is there anything in this past year that he or she has kind of challenged you on or prompted you where you're like oh my god like you

33:57had like I feel like those breakthroughs are few and far between but have you had any of those epiphany moments with your sports bike in this past year I think for myself it's just about the outcome I get very fix I know a lot of athletes get fixated on the outcome instead of going back to the process you know we're always thinking I'm gonna do this time I want to do this I want to do that and like especially when you finish race I'm very much like I know what I've done wrong in that race and I'm very ensuing and I'm very brutally honest sometimes with I'm like I wasn't I'm a happy with this part I'm happy with this part but that so I think I get really fixated on yeah being like well I did this time it reflects this instead of being like no it's a stepping story and this is the process why don't we go back to the whole race and figure out the the good part the bad part um and just enjoying like you know the whole training camp and enjoying the training and then you know the whole competition and so I think even like you think about the future and

35:04along with the time like I think everyone's overthinker and we just replay like scenarios in your head and I kind of go oh that's a future me problem um it's not a currently problem you get really pulled out in that I'm not gonna lie I don't think I'm the only one and I've had a good time it's it's so bad but I think for myself what's worked is like okay currently I'm laying in my bed I'm not gonna like I'm not doing that right now that's for when I hope up on the block so that's so future me so I think there's a lot of little nitty gritty things that I've got to work on um and like some of the sessions it's just me having a fat rant about stupid chin training um but like there's times where it's like okay we've got to rewire um especially coming back it was like I just was not good the first few days coming back after commas I was like oh my god like I don't know how I'm gonna get through the next season but um like

36:08I think he was just like we got to you know go back and have fun like tune like what's the things you want to work on just think about the next few days like your next season and all of that um and we've got to figure out a way how to balance like having a life outside is swimming and having the life inside is swimming and making sure like you know I don't get burnt out and that's one thing that is like you know when you're constantly having the injuries and like you know especially the pressure to keep performing and then you just feel like you're in a constant cycle and you you want to progress but then yeah you get caught up so I think there's so many challenges that I've got to go through and especially through this rehab so I'm pretty eager to like kind of get through that and I think having this break means being realized like oh I need to fix all of these statements what have you been doing on your break you like oh I'm so boring but like I don't feel like I don't feel like I feel like I've seen your Instagram and it feels like you're doing fun stuff still yeah so like the first few days I was like oh because my parents are overseas my sister's

37:14overseas and like Kaylee's on the sunny coast and my friends on a gold coast and the girls are over at parents' backs and I'm like oh my god I got no one here um I was like I was so lonely for the first few days but I made a mission so I bought an apartment like I bought off the plan last year and then during comp like I finally signed everything over so that was the exciting thing for me um and thank you and like it's just been my mission the whole time just to move stuff across um just load up my new packet move it I'm pack everything so that kept me quite occupied and like I've been paid like painting a TV unit um and then like going for walks like to surround the river like Brisbane River it's not the nicest the river but like go for walks around there um try and catch up with people and like seeing Kaylee up at the sunny coast with her puppy um they taught me how to do manual I'm not good at it I'm really not good I thought I was good manual

38:16like driving manual the steering oh driving manual oh my god are you good at that really not sorry I was gonna say I thought that intimidates me to my core like I feel like I would get in a wreck oh it was so bad we went in the back street and like it was only for a few minutes and I was bunny hop in the hallway and I was like this isn't embarrassing it was so bad it was I reckon like that's probably one of the most embarrassing things of my life oh were there people like were there a lot of people around like honking and stuff or no no it was it was a back street but it was Kaylee and my friend Josh in the car too and they're like oh my god you know when you're with your friends and you're like don't don't just forget all of this pleats yeah like a racist for me memory now but it was people fun I'm always up for a little bit of embarrassment but yeah are you someone who when you try something like that like try something new do you get

39:19do you just laugh at yourself or do you get really competitive and frustrated oh I just laugh at myself I don't take myself very seriously like if I try anything I just go oh I'm gonna be so crap at it but like who cares it's a good laugh I'm very much everyone knows I'm a little bit spontaneous and something was like like let's go do this because I'm like it you know the bad memories are always the funny memories like you always gonna remember them and in the moment you're like oh my god there's just so embarrassing but you look back on it and you go oh that was so funny I'm glad I did that so I'm always yeah for like something a little bit weird something a little bit creepy and I'm like even though it's so embarrassing I just look back on my con glada didn't yeah I also feel like just like I mean you in particular but I just feel like the Australian culture I was talking about this with Elizabeth Bies will be the other day I'm like I feel like they're so just good-humored and and like you guys just kind of let's have roll off like it just feels like that's the vibe of of Australian's to me maybe that's just like a generalization but I just feel like

40:22you guys are just being a better mood than us like sometimes a bit too late that go a bit too carefree but like I like I see like meeting with like other countries and other cultures and all that like you can tell like a little bit of a difference like I love the American girls like I think they're the sweetest girls ever and like they're up for a good time too which I'm really all for like going to China and racing with them and then like just having charts and all of that it's actually nice to kind of mingle with like different cultures and different people from other countries because you're like oh like that like everyone gets like you think about America are you not all that and you go oh my god a very patriotic and all of that but everyone's actually so nice and like when you go like when you're on Australia and you're looking on social media and I'm like I'm like oh and like these people but I've had so many good experiences and everyone's like sorry to you all so funny and all of that but the girls have been great yeah I've noticed that I feel like this era and not that like

41:24I had you know I have a tattoo of stuff right it's like I was obviously close with with you know other countries but I feel like this era is like you guys seem the most close of any era I've seen just even from you know talking with some of the the US girls are on social media like I think it's really it's really cool and it just says a lot about just this era of competitors where it's like yeah like okay we're gonna be going for blood in the water but after that we can be best friends and have a great time so I think it's it's really cool to see it's it's actually quite nice like I feel like this should be more opportunities where we had like not so much like Australia like you know in your little teams and all of that like I did really enjoy World Cups because it's like you get to mingle with different people you know like you can make new friends and you can build that like connection and stuff because in marshalling sometimes it's like oh not daunting but it's just like oh you want some of the chat with and you can relate with and have a good laugh and I

42:26know there's some people who like to be a bit silent in marshalling but also just like building memories too like I really enjoy that and I think a lot of us forget like at the end of the sport like yeah there's the achievements and all of that but like you're gonna reminisce and all that about you know the experiences that you do and the memories that you make and all the fun stuff so I think like this should be more experiences like World Cups in China and all of that way you can mingle and you know learn new things and travel with new people so I really hope like in the future this more of that yeah I feel like there will be and especially with LA coming up I feel like there'll be a lot more opportunities to be over here for other countries so that everyone kind of gets accustomed to it similar to what will happen for Brisbane in 2032 speaking of how does that work out with your timeline having LA but then another four years being in Australia like does that is that something you think about when it comes to you know recovery and being able to have

43:28some longevity I think yeah like in the grime scheme of things I would love to go to Brisbane like as you saw for like Leon and like competing in Paris and having that in the country like I think I want to atmosphere like that and I know you guys will experience that in LA so that's something that I'm really looking forward to and even if it's like I make it for a relay like crudos for that like I just want to be on the team no matter what and I think yeah just experiencing that but at the end of the day like I've got to listen to my body and make sure that I don't get burnt out and taking it step by step and LA is the next big thing and then re-evaluating after LA but I would really really love to go to Brisbane and that's something in my picture like I think over time I've just got to make sure that I'm on the right track and maybe evolving my training and I know that it's in like a bigger picture because there's so many athletes going into like their 30s now I think that's quite inspiring especially Sarah competing after having a baby I think

44:32that's one of the greatest achievements like of all time um I think a lot of people forget that and I think it should be praised a lot more because you know she's had an incredible career but also like you know having a baby in a balancing that and having a life within swimming and it's not very often you get to see that and she's raising at a higher level too like her times are just insane so I think that gives me a lot of you know like I'm just thinking about it and I'm like well there's a way around this like it gives me a lot of hope that you know I could have a career within swimming still and still have a balanced life and maybe you know go for a 50 I don't think I will be going for a 50 but you know there's an always like 50 back no maybe a 50 back but I think I have to try to throw it the 50 back at the moments insane the dip like I'm not going to lie that it is it is the backstruck the hundred freestyle is insane I'm just like an aura of all the

45:34girls I'm like oh my god like the speed and everything I'm just the 50 back the hundred back the hundred free like at the moment the women are just out of like out of this world I'm watching everything and I'm like oh my god I want to be like them because it's just so sick it's so I mean yeah I feel like women I mean no offense to the men but like the women's times in the last six to eight months has been like oh wait these now look like guys times like a 20 almost going a 22 in the 50 free like that's not a that's not a time that I associated with with a female I mean I saw the reclame and I was like oh my god she just like the rest of the girls were fast they did fast times yeah but like she was just in a world of our own like so far in a front you know like with KM 2 I was like oh my god like I've never seen someone dominate a 50 like that and like when I think of a 50 I just go like maps like all the time we just go oh there's

46:38really no process behind it but like I think it's incredible that like KM and K and Gretchen and all that are involving the 50 into being like okay there's actually like a race plan behind it and there's a whole process behind it which I find so interesting and I actually appreciate the 50 a lot more before we used to go oh yeah like the 50 meetings you just go with that but I think it's cool at this point that like there's actually a process behind it yeah I feel like it's just brought such light to you know us mid-distance summers typically I don't even call you a mid-distance summer because you have an incredible 100 free style as well but I just feel like it's so easy to look at something that's like oh well it's only 20 plus seconds so it's but it's like actually I would argue I have shifted my tune to be like the 50 now to me seems way more stressful and way more intense because of everything that I now know about it so yeah I think it's just the

47:39innovation in general is really impactful on the sport for sure oh it's just insane at this point like I know I'm not a 50 meter specialist or anything but like I just think it's nice to see the sport evolving and just to show us other ways to get there and especially a compliment like the 100 meters as you saw with the K in the 100 free like there's so many ways you can do this sport now and I think we got so stuck in like the old ways and which works for some people and but I think it's making the sport more fun now and like training a lot more fun where it's like okay like I can implement this and still get the same stimulus rather than going like 5K right are you what is your training like are you more high volume or are you kind of in between I know lots of mix but I would say I'm a lot more high volume I think I train more like a 200 so now then I do with a hundred or like sprint I still do it like you know the 100 pace and all

48:43that but yeah very much more like 200 focus so I would say like 5 6K maybe 6K standard yeah so I think I just go with what I've did thinks is best I do tell my need this I need that but I've been kind of doing the same program we're still a little bit more old school but have a little bit more of that sprint side added to it and I think we're still venturing into trying new things and I think like each season I've tried my best to maybe try something else which is quite exciting it's like I think the years like each year it's like oh well I get to play around for a year see if that works and then for the final year you kind of added all together but I think I've kind of trained the same as I have since I was 14 the same training type you know the three-week blocks and like the nine sessions and still staying and doing a high load because I think feel like that works for me I think until like I get really old maybe I'll drop K's but

49:48I'm the type of person like I'm a workhorse I like having a lot of work and I get like I don't I like I would like to try and learn more of the sprint stuff but I don't I get a bit scared that I'm like I don't know how to implement that so I think it's just slowly integrating it maybe yeah it's it's if you are I was the same way of like your workhorse and you get your confidence from training and like the volume it is so difficult to be like wait you want me to cut that out it's just mentally I feel like it's just such a it's a scary it's a scary area yeah it's crazy how much like this sport is mental like I never thought about it is like all a lot of the things that I'm holding us back is like the fear of like going into the unknown and um I think that's a big thing for me is like I'll just embracing like the new and being like trust the process and see if that works out just like give it a crack um you won't know until you try and I think we all

50:50like get used to the old ways and be like comfortable with that so I think I really need a work on that maybe it's I think I think I don't think there's one person who's planet who who doesn't need to work on that unless you're I feel like unless you're 40 or 50 years old and you've like gone through it and you're just like this I hope when I'm 50 I'm like I'm so wise and I just have embraced change but that is not me right now but yeah it's I all envision this how about like it's it's 2030 you said you're getting baby fever you have you have a man you have a baby then you start focusing on the hundred only and you cut back your training and you have a baby and a family and you work the world record and 100 free and go swim in 2032 seems like a great plan sounds like I'm sorry I feel like a plan I would be sorry yeah like wings will around like there's no losses yeah yeah that's the crazy part like so many so much can happen and like

51:54can going from a like to free to now 50 free specialist like I think it opens up and it gives so much prospect in a sport yeah it's it's it's I mean inspires inspires me I know inspires so many and I feel like coaches are also kind of latching on to that I truly believe people like him and Van Matthias from from USA who's doing something similar like they're just pushing they're pushing the limits of the sport and I think it's opening you know athletes to be able to swim longer and people to feel like they can try different things and so yeah we we need more of that I think it's it's really special so nice so I'm agree with that I want to do some fun little rapid fire I created for you I feel like I feel like you are so happy to wrap it fire so excited so okay if your race strategy was a movie genre what would it be race right oh my god maybe like a thriller oh like a horror I like that a horror I feel like with the 200 like I'm trying different

52:59race strategies but like I'm known for my back and I feel like you know it's like that's slow kind of build and then it kind of just like catches up on you that's a bit scary I mean yeah I would say some of your competitors would say the genre is is horror and you would say it's thriller that's probably perfect yeah yeah that's okay which which swim memories still makes you laugh out loud when you think back to it oh I reckon like um but at past 2022 before the hundredth free final I was a wreck like I think it's funny but like I was a wreck and I had nothing Wilson with me and I was like she'll unlock these down my throat because I thought it would be like you know get me up get pumped up I was like I chose the whole way behind the blocks like having like just all in my throat and like I just think it's funny because it's like you know

54:01you're just like dying there and you're like I've got to get myself together I was so direct so I think that's quite funny is like I'm choking behind the blocks with lollies in my mouth and just one race choking people watching have no idea this is going on you're just you probably looked very composed and professional and oh yeah yeah no behind the scenes I feel like I'm always like a wreck behind the scenes I'm like oh scat a brain of you like how's her process working and I'm just running around doing others stuff and they're like oh she's not very calm is she I'm like not it is you need that running around grabbing stuff I'm like so bad hey it works it works um okay when is the last time that you crashed out oh like and like assuming or like in person which at both if you have it oh quite recently I think coming home from commies like the day that I landed I just I'm blew up I was like

55:01the only three days I think I had a three day crash out and then I was all good I'm like I'll have a crash out and then I'll go oh I'm all good now so yeah that was I'll feel like that's valid crash out that's a valid crash like and as you're crash out I know mine is very um I was just used the word eruptive like is it like are you yelling cry like what it what's your crash out look like oh I think I'm all over the shop like I'll cry for a hot minute get a bit angry and then I'll go a bit silent and then like I'm just a sporadic I was just sorry I'm predictable I'm so bad so bad that's a mobile I uh well I feel like I feel like when I first met my boy friend now husband he just knew that out of the gate so whoever you end up with he just has to be like look when I crash out it is a spiral it's all over the place it's just what you're

56:03gonna have to go and then I'm good and then I'm good maybe I should meet them when I crash out so they know what they're getting into yeah yeah I think that's a good plan okay next um what what has been the best crowd moment in one of your races oh I think parasol and picks I think going from Tokyo and it's like there was no one there to having a full stadium full even like sitting in the warm up pool and Leon's racing doing brushstroke I'm hearing all the French people like scream out of money pops up out of the water like it wasn't my race but I thought that was a pretty slick moment like I think that stuck with me and a lot of other people yeah oh I'll never I will never forget that like I just remember thinking that's what you're thinking about Brisbane it's what we were thinking about LA it's like wow like this is when it's home crowd it's just it is freaking electric oh it's so crazy I've tried my for LA like we know all the marathons race I think it'll just be insane to let just even like as I said before

57:08sit in the warm pool and you can just hear the whole stadium like shake I think that's so epic yeah it's got I mean where it's located like it's gonna be it's going to be insane I can't wait I can't wait I'm sorry but I can't yeah I will be screaming in the stands for all of you okay what is one thing teammates would say is so Molly that you do oh I I think some people think I'm a I'm a little bit scary but like um yeah like I'm a bit goofy too so oh it's hard like in training I'm very like I can be bit when I'm in the moment I can be very like tense so a bit scary sometimes I think some people can get a little bit scared they're like oh don't don't don't miss with Molly when she's like really into it or like warm up sometimes like when I'm warming up for a race like oh I get really

58:14like yeah a bit hot headed not hot headed but like just yeah like I don't know how to explain it for yeah I would say like like just like locked in like you're not like you're not joking like you're just like game face very locked in and like I can sometimes I can be a bit blunt too so I'm a very honest person like I can be very like happy and very nice but then we're like if I'm in a certain like situation I can be very blunt and like I don't think sometimes better like when better I can cross a lot I can just so I can be a little bit scary sometimes so everyone's like oh don't mess with Molly when she's in this flight and I'm like oh valid valid but I think everyone gets I've got a better over the years I used to be very like like Kate I feel like Kaylee and I are very similar in the aspect of like we could call people out or like if someone's doing something I'll be like hold them accountable but now I'm kind of like oh let them be I'll just focus on

59:16myself if it it was only really went into like they're affecting me then I would call them out they're doing something and I'm like oh I think Thomas was training with us Thomas Chephon I've got mattered on one session he was like not wanting to lead and I was like injured and stuff and I was like I just got mad I don't mind like and he was sitting on my like feet and I was just like no not having it so did you like did he come into the wall and you just like snap like what did you say I thought we're never exactly but I was cracking out I was just like I'm like you're bloody leading like stop being selfish and stuff like that I just wasn't not having it um I think he probably doesn't remember he's so carefree like he's so chitting him oh he seems so chill he's like oh well um which I really appreciate about him because he's like yeah you're just going to get new to that oh sorry ballet you know so much faster than me and I was like dude just go on front yeah he's just trying to get a ride when he should be the one giving the ride

1:00:19I know help a girl out yeah um okay what is one non-swimming goal that you have in the next year oh well originally it was to buy an apartment but oh yeah I think they find a hobby by the hobby okay yeah I love this because I'm on I am on the quest for hobby because I feel like everyone has a hobby and I don't have one I'm the same I'm so boring you look at oh like what's your interest at going nothing sleeping doing all the swim star other than that nothing knows I think yeah that and maybe being a bit more like so like I've always said there's I kind of want to meet people outside of swimming a bit a little bit more social like I'd say in Australia it's very much we train at a little squab they're not at a uni or anything I'm not a uni um yeah a college or anything so you don't often get to meet people outside of your sport and you're

1:01:23like we're a family pretty much a trainee and I love in a door I've been to everyone but it's like oh it would be nice to mingle with other people who do other things so I think a hobby and maybe like making friends with people outside of swimming okay I want thank you for the validation of not feeling like a weirdo for not having a hobby because I've I mean I try diamond art I've tried like archery like I just nothing lights me up so if you find something let me know do you find like you start a hobby you like full commit to the hobby and then like you get really bored of it quickly and then you jump to another hobby oh yeah that's me I like I like what's more just like pottery like you tried pottery and you didn't like what you didn't like it I kind of just do the home run like I just like mold clay and stuff or like do a bit of painting but my paintings really bad like I'm not good at art it's kind of like sketched up chuck it and then but I feel like that one's kind of a therapeutic but you may like patience and I don't have patience yeah and I also feel like

1:02:29it's maybe I have maybe we have too high expectations of what the hobbies supposed to feel like I feel like I said this like what's supposed to be just like this like magical amazing thing is just fills my cup just like you know maybe it maybe expectations are just too high and it's just like something to fill your day with maybe that's what it is I think we're trying to we're thinking about the outcome with a good value it's going to be good right yeah and it's meant to be worse before it gets better is one of those ones maybe yeah maybe I know my friends make fun of me because they're like how do you not have a hobby and I'm like I just I just don't like I just I mean can we can we say that like having like a shakudari board and like a glass of rose like a happy hour is that a hobby because I'm I feel about that I'll do that like going for a coffee like eating that's a hobby like totally agree okay yeah I'll take it yeah oh my gosh last question what so

1:03:31what does your timeline look like right now if you even know it um you know this will come out in a few weeks are you do you have a schedule of rehab or kind of a goal of when to be back to normal or is it just kind of taken a day by day um I would say it's day by day at the moment um currently like it's my third week of no-swing and I think it's just going to be a gradual like going back in really slow because I don't want other things to kind of flare up um I know you like when you are building back in sometimes like you know you shoulder flares up or this flares up so I'm thinking I had to be very smart about this and not rush into things and I'm very much like I'll rush into things so I need to take a step back very gradually build in I'm hoping that it'll be back swimming um short course worlds like I would love to do it but it's one of those things that it's like it's a maybe for Australia we've got the trials at the end of September and I don't know if

1:04:37I'll be informed by that time and I'm very much also like I leave it open like I leave all of my things open like as you could tell like comies pant packs I say that I'm gonna do it but it's a it's a maybe um but I think at the moment it's like hoping that I'll be back in the water starting like gym and all of that back to normal um and just yeah building back slowly making sure I do listen to my body and be a bit kinder to myself um but yeah hopefully it's a nice buildback yeah well I will say to you what I'm saying to myself because I had a C-section is just like actually listen to your body like it tells you it tells you what it needs and actually listen to it but I trust me like right now I I feel the same way it's like yeah but like what if I pushed it a little bit like what really would happen you know it's it's it's really hard but I commend I commend the way that you're approaching it I'm sure it's been very difficult but um you know

1:05:38to me it's you're doing what you need to do to be in top form in LA so it's smart yeah it's like yeah you gotta go to sacrifice a little bit to you know get the big picture in the end and like honestly congratulations like you're looking well like you know you don't know about it like you'd feel like hoping on the podcast and I know it's like afternoon it like night time for you and you got a little bubble so I was like oh my gosh I don't expect you would be fine doing what oh my gosh no thank you and yeah no I mean I literally was like okay bye I'll be right back in an hour so she's with dad and she's good and um it's honestly been it's just been so fun to be able to like when you are at this point and I'm sure Sarah so sure can talk to this it's just like you can do all the things you know you can do like this lights up my cup this conversation fills everything and then she fills it and then it overflows so it's it's kind of nice to see that you really can do all the

1:06:39things you just have to have like the right things set up so it's exactly all right that's so true honestly like I'm so happy for you like oh honestly and it's nice to like also make sure you look after yourself too and so you got your eyelashes done another day looks good I did it's a yes it's it's uh it's one of those things where I'm like okay well I still want to like be a cool hit mom no no no no matter what oh my gosh you are so sweet thank you um yeah and thank you for getting up this morning and giving an update and um just know that yeah I'm I'm cheering hard for you and um what you what you are presented what you do is is pretty special so keep it up no thank you so much and thank you for having me