Going Long | Passion, Consistency & Success with Rowdy Gaines

In this episode of Going Long, host Craig Lewin sits down with Rowdy Gaines , Olympic gold medalist, legendary swimming commentator, and this year's keynote speaker at Beyond the Breakers. Rowdy shares his remarkable journey from starting swimming late at 17 years old to becoming one of the most influential voices in the sport. What You'll Learn: Rowdy reveals the two words that made him an Olympic champion: passion and consistency. He breaks down what it really takes to succeed at the highest level, why he didn't love swimming while doing it but craved the feeling after, and how the valleys of life define champions more than the peaks. He discusses his experience with the 1980 Olympic boycott, creating the track start in swimming, and why he believes risk-taking and the willingness to fail are essential to success. Key Topics: Starting swimming late and how to catch up The difference between passion for the goal and passion for the work Why consistency matters more than perfection Peaks and valleys: navigating setbacks and using them to grow Risk-taking, failure, and originality in your sport The 1980 Olympic boycott and training through disappointment How open water swimming is changing the sport Advice for young swimmers finding their path What it takes to build a tradition of excellence On Open Water Swimming: Rowdy offers unique perspective on open water swimming as someone who has watched the sport evolve over 50 years. He explains why he admires open water swimmers and triathletes more than almost any other athletes, discusses how the Olympics changed open water swimming, and shares his thoughts on how the US can build a stronger open water tradition. About Beyond the Breakers: Beyond the Breakers is an annual open water swimming summit bringing together swimmers, coaches, race directors, and water safety experts. Rowdy will be delivering the keynote address on November 14th, sharing insights on passion, consistency, resilience, and what it takes to push through the difficult moments. Register for Beyond the Breakers 2026: https://swimbeyondthebreakers.com/202... Subscribe to Going Long for in-depth conversations with Olympic champions, open water swimming legends, coaches, and experts pushing the sport forward.